Hostile Takeover
by F.H. Blake
Summary: AU based on the dream Booth has of him and Bones as club owners. Booth is a billionaire businessman hell-bent on buying Bones' club, The Lab. Bones is hell-bent on keeping Booth as far away from her club as possible. The two worlds collide one night over too many shots, and Booth and Bones soon realise that enemies don't constantly want to rip each other's clothes off.
1. The Skeleton in the Closet

**Hello dear reader, before we begin on this journey, I would like to say some things.**

 **Firstly, this is an AU story. Alternate Universe, which means that things are not canon. Therefore, if you want canon, this is not the story for you. This story is based on the 100th episode (I think) where Booth dreams up the fantasy life of him and Bones as club owners. (So technically this is canon, as it's Booth's dream world. Ha.)**

 **Secondly, I am a late Bones fan. I only started watching this year. (I was 9 when the series started, so maybe a little young for blood and guts). Bones has had a phenomenal impact on my life. I am 6 months away from my first degree, and my next degree will definitely be in anthropology, but enough about me.**

 **Thirdly, for the past two years, I have given up on writing. This is my hail mary, my attempt on getting my mojo back (If you've read my other fics you'll know the struggle). I hope you like it.**

 **The Skeleton in the Closet.**

 _Now we're picking fights and slamming doors_

 _Magnifying all our flaws_

 _And I wonder why, wonder what for_

 _Why we keep coming back for more._

Aubrey slammed the file down on Booth's desk with gusto. He unbuttoned his jacket before sitting down in one of the two sleek leather chairs Booth had in his office. Booth raised an eyebrow at his young associate, who was busy opening a pack of peanuts.

"Good morning to you too," Booth said as he picked up the file.

"Morning," Aubrey greeted back between mouthfuls of peanuts. It was a hot and sticky morning in Philly, but the office air conditioner was doing a great job of keeping them cool and sweat free. Booth only got agitated in the heat, and an agitated Booth was not something Aubrey liked to deal with. "I got the file on The Lab."

Booth flipped open the file, scanning the contents quickly to get an overview. He had made a good choice in employing Aubrey as his junior associate, the kid was thorough and knew his stuff.

"Well the club's financials look good, could be better, but whoever is running the place knows what they're doing," Booth said as he scanned over the statement.

"The club's got a name too, and there's nothing better than a place with a name," Aubrey leaned back, grinning to himself as he sensed Booth's approval. The Lab was a club in downtown Washington with an interesting theme. It has been up and running for five years now and it was a nightly hotspot for the locals.

Booth flipped to the photographs of the club, raising an eyebrow. "Interesting," he mused.

Aubrey leaned forward and craned his neck to see which photo Booth was looking at. "It's awesome, right? The whole place looks like a chemistry classroom inside. They serve you shots in beakers and everything, just like a lab."

"It clearly has potential," Booth flipped through the rest, scanning over the menu as well. That's what Booth did, he took over clubs with potential and made them epic. Some called him a crook, but to him, it was all business. Booth always got what he wanted, and he had his sights set on The Lab.

"Have you got anything on the owner?"

Aubrey frowned. "That's where it got tricky." He leaned over and flipped a few pages over in the folder. "All I could get was that the owner was a T. Brennan, and that's it. Apparently, the owner lives a very private life. Whoever he or she is, they have no social media presence and no association with the club. Meeting the owner is supposedly like meeting the president, but once you meet them you're in."

Booth leaned back, flipping a pair of dice between his fingers. It was a common tactic often used by new club owners. They wanted to create something exclusive, somewhere people would die to get into. Being unreachable made people fall all over themselves to reach you.

"You're going to have to find the owner, I can't make them an offer if I don't know who I'm making the offer to."

That was another reason why Booth hired Aubrey. The kid had a knack for digging up dirt, and it was often the dirt that persuaded the owners to sell to Booth. You don't get to run a multi-billion dollar firm by playing nice.

"I was thinking of going down there, doing some recon," Aubrey said, finishing his pack of peanuts and crumpling the paper. "There's no online trace I can follow, and I'll get a better read on the owner if I meet them in person."

Booth thought about this for a minute. He liked to have all the facts before making a decision, but he mostly went with his gut. His gut told him that buying The Lab was a good deal. He could turn it into an overnight sensation, the next Space Miami or Limelight, and he would actually be able to keep it open for more than ten years. Buying clubs was an art, they had a limited lifespan and you always had to be one step ahead of the latest trend. It was hard work, but it sure as hell paid off.

"I want to discuss legal options with Caroline first, and have forensic accounting dig a little deeper into the club's finances. Then we'll talk about going."

Aubrey nodded, giving Booth a salute before making his way to his office. Booth leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up on the table. He flipped the file back to the beginning and started to read the detailed report Aubrey compiled.

The Lab was founded in 2012, the club had a rough first year, but made it through. By 2013, the idea of drinking brain jelly out of a beaker became a fad and The Lab's popularity grew. In 2014, the lab became famous for their 'bone killer' shot, a shot that supposedly turned all your bones to jelly. The Lab was featured in the hottest entertainment magazines and became a member of the Washington pub crawl experience. It was rated as one of the 50 best clubs in America in 2016 after hiring world famous chef, Colin Fisher, who created the 'tower of bones' — a massive stack of pork ribs. The club has been going strong since then, but Booth's mind was already working on ways to improve it and to get it to the top of the world's best clubs list.

He was just about to flip to the financial statements when Sweets sauntered into his office, black shades on his face. He flopped down in the same chair Aubrey was in earlier, looking like he spent the night in a bottle of beer with a cat.

"Last night's fundraiser gala did not do my wallet, or my liver, any good," he complained, rubbing his stomach. Booth suppressed a grin as he looked at his publicist. He grew up with Sweets, the man was his closest friend. When Booth's company started gaining a reputation and making millions, Booth brought Sweets in to make sure his private life stayed private.

"It was that brunette that didn't do you any good," Booth countered, giving Sweets a knowing glance. Sweets was a few years younger than Booth, which meant he hasn't made the mistakes Booth's made yet.

"Daisy," Sweets sighed dreamily before snapping himself out of it. "She turned me down Booth, I had to restore my confidence again after that."

"And you restored your confidence by drinking six slippery nipples in a row."

"It was the only nipple I was going to get," Sweets grumbled and Booth couldn't help but laugh.

"How are you supposed to look after my image if you can't look after your own?" Booth had practically carried Sweets to a cab after the slippery nipples. The kid was head over heels for Daisy, but the bubbly brunette wanted nothing to do with him. Booth suspected that it was partly his fault, he had a reputation for being a snake, one which inevitably rubbed off on Sweets.

"Your image is just fine, Booth," Sweets grumbled, pushing his shades up. "I heard Aubrey talking about a new takeover."

Booth almost rolled his eyes. Aubrey had a big mouth. "I have my sights set on something."

"Anything good?"

Booth handed Sweets the file. After a few minutes of looking through it, Sweets said: "Do you think she'll sell?"

Booth raised an eyebrow. "She? You think the owner is a woman?"

Sweets nodded, handing the file back to Booth. "No man could have come up with the items on the menu. She is an alcohol genius."

"I don't know," Booth said, playing with his dice again. "It just feels like it should be a guy. My gut says, guy."

"Come on," Sweets argued, "no man would name a cocktail 'making love in the driveway'."

"No woman would name a shot a Washington Long drop!"

"Sorry for the interruption," Aubrey's head was leaning in through the doorway. "Booth, your ex-fiancee is here to see you."


	2. The Killer in the Bone

**Sorry, another short authors note. Please note that I am not American, or British, so if I mess up a pop culture reference here or there, don't hang me. I try.**

 **The Killer in the Bone**

 _"Some people find faults like there's a reward for it." - Zig Ziglar_

"Bone Killers, coming up," Brennan placed five Bone Killers in front of two very brave young men. The grinned at each other, eager to test out their drinking stamina. Brennan found it fascinating how many people see her invention as an invitation of challenge. Never the less, she took their money and made a mental note to have Mr Bray call them a cab later.

It was one of those rare nights where Brennan found herself behind the bar at The Lab. She didn't often work the bar, but sometimes she found that it cleared her head, especially after a particularly challenging day. Her lawyers had called this afternoon, informing her that Cantilever was looking into The Lab's financials. She spent the rest of the afternoon on the phone, making sure that there was nothing Cantilever could use to compromise her club.

The Cantilever Group was famous for their hostile takeovers. They bought clubs, made them spectacular, and got rid of them before they could die out with no consideration for the owners or employees. Brennan had heard of their bulldog, a man named Booth, who they sent out to particularly stubborn owners. From what Brennan heard, Booth always got what he wanted.

"Well he's not getting my club," she told herself after angrily shouting at her computer specialist and publicist to once again erase all online trace of her.

Her agitation caused her to get behind the bar, serving her famous Bone Killers to crazy people who wanted to prove that they could handle her shot. No one could handle her shot.

"You good here Bren?" Hodgins asked as he moved past her, a couple of dirty martinis in his hands. He placed them on the counter and gave a goofy smile to the two beautiful women who ordered the drinks.

"I'm all good," she said to the other bartender as she moved down the bar to take another order. She shouldn't have shouted at Angela this afternoon, but she knew her friend could take it. She needed to shout at someone. How dare that man think he can buy her club, a club she had worked her ass off to open.

"Asshole," she mumbled to herself as she put two beers on the counter. It was a busy night at The Lab. Timo ODV was set to take the stage at midnight and the place was packed. They still had two hours to go, but the tips were good and Bren wasn't complaining.

"Hey gorgeous," Bren heard Hodgins greet someone and she turned to find Angela leaning over the counter.

"Hey yourself," she rolled her eyes at him, her smile giving away the fact that she secretly liked it when Hodgins called her 'gorgeous'. "Sweetie, can I get one of those love in the driveway thingies?" She asked Brennan. "By the way, you should really consider changing it to Fucking in the Driveway."

Brennan just shook her head and started on the drink. "Hodgins keeps telling me that."

"Well listen to the man," Angela said, giving Hodgins a dramatic wink. It almost caused the bottle he was spinning to slide out of his hands, but he recovered. Whenever Angela was around he always got flustered, and flustered bartenders did not get tips.

"I'll think about it," Brennan says as she puts the drink down in front of Angela. "On the house, as an apology for this afternoon."

"You don't need to apologise, sweetie, I get it," Angela pulled the drink closer, taking the straw between her lips and taking a sip. "But I do enjoy free booze."

Angela didn't usually spend her nights at The Lab unless there was a major event going on, or she happened to like the artist performing. Angela raved about Timo ODV for three straight days after Brennan told her she had booked him.

"That's the only one you're getting for free, the rest goes on your tab," Brennan said as another customer caught her attention.

"Yeah, sure," Angela said as she turned around to survey the room. She knew all it took was a sneaky kiss for Hodgins and she would drink for free the whole night. It was wrong of her to take advantage of his crush, but some nights a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Brennan served a few more drinks before she caught the eye of her redheaded hostess. "Jessica!" She called her over, leaning over the counter to speak to her. "How are things looking outside?"

"All good B," Jessica said, bobbing her head in tune to the music. "We've got a line down to the Starbucks on the corner."

That made Brennan smile. "Capacity?"

"We can do 20 more people until we're full."

"Alright, let in 5 every 30 until midnight, and then let in another 20." Brennan knew she shouldn't push the club's capacity, but she always had a plan. "Offer the last 20 the observation deck for an extra 10 bucks."

"You got it, B," Jessica saluted Brennan before making her way back to the door, dancing to the beat along the way. The layout of The Lab was simple. The first floor was a large open space with a raised platform in the middle and two neon blue bars to either side. At the back was the bathroom, and the restricted staircase to the upstairs level. There were various walkways and a deck with a view of the first floor on the second floor. Brennan and Angela's offices were upstairs along with an employee break room. Bren sometimes opens the viewing deck to the public, especially on nights like tonight where space is a luxury. They also had a private employee bar upstairs, where Brennan and Hodgins sometimes experimented with new beverages.

"Hey B, got a second?" Hodgins was standing next to her, his hand on her elbow. She stiffened, she should have known her night behind the bar wouldn't last long. They had a rule at The Lab that all her squints (a nickname she had for her employees) had to adhere to. No one was ever to call her boss while she was in the club. They called her B instead. It was just an extra layer of security for her. She liked to keep her private life private and didn't want every single artist, bartender, dancer or promoter in DC knowing who she was and blowing up her inbox all of the time. Whenever someone wanted to talk to the owner, her squints had to squeeze her elbow. It gave her the opportunity to check them out first, and if necessary, decline their offer in advance.

"Down the bar with the leather jacket," Hodgins said before going back to making his drinks. Brennan acted naturally, taking a few more orders and sneaking glances at the man sitting at the end of the bar. He had dark hair and dark eyes. There was something, almost dangerous about him. He oozed confidence, he made sitting at a bar look like the most natural thing in the world. The loud music, the pulsing lights and the heat of bodies pressed together didn't have an impact on him. He wasn't even sweating. Brennan finished her last order before moving over to him. The moment his brown eyes looked into her grey ones, her heart slammed into her ribcage so hard she thought it was going to jump out. He was _gorgeous._ The corner of his lips pulled up into a cocky smirk and her cheeks flushed.

What was happening to her? No man has ever had this effect on her, now here she was melting at the sight of him. If she had something to drink earlier she would have blamed it on the alcohol, but she was stone cold sober.

"You must be Bones," he grinned at her. She grabbed onto the counter, his choice making her heart stand still.

 _My God, pull yourself together Brennan._

When Brennan worked in the club she was known to the customers as Bones. She hated the nickname, but she would love to hear it coming from his lips again.

 _I wonder what my name would sound like if he was screaming it in pleasure?_

The thought popped into her head so suddenly it almost floored her. She didn't even know this man's name and she was already in the gutter. She started counting in her head, trying to figure out if her period was near or if she was ovulating, _anything_ to explain the intense effect this stranger was having on her.

Eventually, her brain caught up with itself again and she realised she needed to say something.

"That's what they call me, what can I get you?" She was surprised at how calm she sounded. Could he see her cheeks were as red as a reindeer's nose? She was sure he could hear her heart because right now it felt like it was louder than the music.

"I don't know," he said, folding his arms in front of him and leaning closer to her. She could smell his aftershave. "What do you think I'll like?"

 _That's a loaded question._

Her mind rolled into the gutter again, wondering what he likes and how he likes it.

 _Rough and dirty I bet._

 _God shut up._

Unable to stop herself, she leaned forward on the counter a little. His eyes flashed from her face to her chest, and suddenly Brennan remembered that she was wearing a top that revealed a little too much cleavage. Her cheeks heated as those brown eyes found hers again. She let her eyes roam over him, take in his broad shoulders, lean build and muscled arms.

"I think I have you figured out," she told him, getting to work on his drink.

"This should be interesting," he muses to himself, his eyes never leaving her as she made his drink. When she was finished, she placed it in front of him.

"What's this?"

"Sex with the Bartender."


	3. The Con in the Nundrum

**I would like to start this off with a thank you to everyone who reviewed and followed! This chapter is for you!**

 **The Con in the Nundrum**

"What do you want Hannah?" Booth asked, slightly irritated as the blonde bounced into his office and planted herself in the chair that Sweets was just in. Booth felt like throwing it out the window, but he just continued to toss the dice around.

"Hello to you too, Seeley," she greeted him warmly, pushing her blonde locks away from her face.

"Don't call me Seeley," he growled at her. She had lost the privilege of using his first name when she broke his heart.

"Oh stop being so grumpy."

Booth couldn't help it. Hannah was the second woman to break his heart, the first being the mother of his son. He was starting to get tired of this, and his anger at the female species had not yet subsided.

"Please get on with it, I'm in the middle of something," Booth said. Hannah sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out a small box.

"I needed to return this," she placed the black box on the table. Booth didn't need to open it to know what was inside of it.

"You could have left it in my mailbox, why come all the way here?" Booth asked, keeping his arms folded in front of him and keeping his face expressionless.

"We both know you told your doorman not to let me into the building," Hannah rolled her eyes at Booth, pouting slightly. When Booth didn't reply to her comment, she continued. "I'm leaving Philly."

Booth wasn't surprised. Hannah was an entertainment journalist, always following the latest craze or fad. It was a miracle she managed to stay in Philly long enough for them to get engaged. Booth thought she was the one and Hannah didn't want to give up the glamorous life of an entertainment reporter.

"A text would have been enough," Booth said coolly. He had said everything he needed to say to Hannah when she broke the engagement. He didn't think it was necessary to keep going in circles. She didn't want to be tied down and Booth did. They were incompatible, it was only logical that they should part ways.

 _Then why was she still clinging?_ Booth wondered to himself.

"I'm going to London, Seeley." Again with his name, but this time he didn't snap at her. So she was leaving the country. That thought made Booth breathe slightly easier. It was comforting to know that she was going to haunt some other continent far away from him.

"I really do wish you the best Hannah."

Her smile fell slightly, almost like she was expecting Booth to beg her to stay. It was a ridiculous notion since she was the one who broke off the engagement.

"I am really sorry," she said softly, about to reach out to touch his shoulder, but changing her mind. She stood up, throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading towards his door. "If you're ever in London, look me up," she told him over her shoulder as she left.

Booth sighed, dropping his head into his hands. Women were strange creatures. She's the one who left him, yet she expected him to go after her. That was not how this worked. He had yelled at her, tried to reason with her, hell he even begged her to marry him, but she wanted none of that. He was glad she was leaving, it meant she would stop showing up at his office to torture him some more. Those first two weeks after they broke up was a nightmare for Booth. Every blonde woman reminded him of Hannah, and Sweets and Aubrey had to stop him from firing every woman in the building. He was still pissed at all females, but at least he didn't want to punch something every time a blonde walked past him.

A sound outside of his door made his head snap up and he sighed. "Just come in you two," he called and a few seconds later Sweets and Aubrey walked into his office. Sometimes working with those two felt like herding cats.

"What did she want?" Aubrey asked as he made himself comfortable in the chair he was earlier.

"She didn't look too happy," Sweets added. Both of them looked at Booth for some kind of explanation.

"She didn't say anything important," Booth said, and Sweets and Aubrey knew that was all they were going to get out of him on the subject. Sweets knew his friend was in pain, he had known Booth long enough to know what it looked like. Booth never said anything, his pain was silent. A lot of people called Booth a snake, a crook, a bulldog, but the truth was that Booth had a soft heart underneath the hard shell he built around him. He believed in love, in marriage, in soulmates. The breakup with Hannah was difficult, but Sweets knew Booth would work through it.

"I think we should go to DC," Sweets said. This made Aubrey sit up straight and crack a smile.

"Hell yeah we should go, we can do a little recon," Aubrey grinned, "and you my man, can get laid." Aubrey gestured toward Booth, who coughed and set his dice down on the table.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Aubrey was starting to get excited, almost as excited as he was on Taco Tuesdays. "You need to get laid. Forget Hannah, forget Cantilever, forget Philly. You need a night with a DC girl to clear your mind."

Booth was not a one night stand kind of guy. He didn't enjoy going out with the sole purpose of getting a woman to sleep with him. Granted, he's had his fair share of one night stands with exceptional women, but he was holding out for the one.

"I think that is a great idea," Sweets nodded, fist bumping with Aubrey. "You need a rebound, Booth. You're all agitated, and you're going to need an open mind if you're planning a takeover."

Booth considered this. His anger at the feminine side of humanity was slowly boiling, and it needed a release. Sweets was right, he couldn't attempt a takeover with a cloudy mind. He needed to let off steam and let his anger out.

"Alright, fine, you've convinced me," Booth said as Sweets and Aubrey cheered. DC would be good for Sweets too, he needed to get over Daisy as well. "But, this is not just a pleasure trip, we need to do some serious recon on The Lab. I want to know everything there is to know about the owner and the club." Booth shot Aubrey a stern glance, indicating that he was going to have to earn his pay this weekend.

"You got it, boss, I am all over it," Aubrey jumped up, making his way back to his office to continue his investigation.

"Sweets…" Booth started, but Sweets interrupted him.

"I'm on it, flights, hotels, cars, getting into The Lab. You got it," Sweets jumped up as well, following after Aubrey.

Booth let out a deep sigh, finally alone in his office for the first time that day. He had a busy morning, and his afternoon was only going to get busier. He was meeting Caroline for lunch to discuss their legal options, and after that, he needed to head home to pack. Normally he wouldn't have accompanied Aubrey on a recon mission, the kid needed to learn how to do it himself, but Booth was starting to like the idea of having some fun with a woman who wasn't blonde.

* * *

Six hours later Booth, Sweets and Aubrey were on a plane heading to DC. Aubrey was furiously tapping away at his computer, wanting to compile as much dirt as he could before they landed. Sweets was playing some game on his phone, and Booth was enjoying a cold beer. The rest of the day went by faster than he would have liked. His meeting with Caroline was fruitful. He always liked it when his lawyers told him he could go for a takeover. He spent the rest of the afternoon buried in paperwork before heading home, where he grabbed a quick shower and packed his suitcase for the trip.

"Hey, I might have something," Aubrey said, turning his laptop so Booth could see the screen.

"What am I looking at?" Booth asked. On the screen was a newspaper article from three years ago. It wasn't a major Washington newspaper, he didn't recognise the name.

"An article published in some backwater paper. Apparently, The Lab is in gang territory, and the gang have made threats to close them down if they don't pay a monthly fee."

"Now we're getting somewhere," Booth grinned, excited with this snippet of information. There was always dirt somewhere. "Keep digging Aubrey, we land in an hour."

"You got it, boss."


	4. The Beauty in the Bar

**The Beauty in the Bar**

She was the most beautiful woman Booth had ever laid his eyes on. The way she moved behind the bar lost in her own little world fascinated him. He wondered what it was like in her mind. The way she made any drink that was requested of her without effort dazzled him. What was this amazing woman doing behind the bar? She belonged…he didn't know where she belonged, but surely not behind the bar of a b-list club.

The place was packed, but Sweets had no trouble getting them in. Sweets had a way with people that Booth would never understand. He had lost Aubrey first to the redheaded hostess. To anyone else, it looked like Aubrey was just chatting her up, but he was actually fishing for information. The redhead seemed to like talking hopefully, she would easily let something slip about the owner.

Booth had to admit that he liked the vibe of the club. The whole laboratory theme was something fresh and different, the music was great and the drinks were even better. He lost Sweets second to a bouncy brunette who looked like she knew how to have a good time. He knew better than trying to herd those two cats, so he just let them do their thing as he sat at the bar.

"What can I get you?" A scruffy, curly haired bartender stood in front of him, interrupting his thoughts.

"You can get me the owner," Booth said, getting straight to the point. He was here for business after all, but as his eyes wandered back over to the female bartender in the revealing top he reminded himself that he was here for pleasure as well.

Curly raised a brow, turning to the two women standing next to Booth and taking their order. He started on their drinks, maintaining eye contact with Booth. "Owner's not in, but you can talk to the head bartender," Curly inclined his head toward the woman, who was busy lighting two Flaming Sambucas.

"Sure, thanks."

Curly nodded and went to go get the head bartender. Booth watched their exchange with a keen eye, wondering if the woman was going to give up any information about the owner. As far as he could tell the crew was a pretty tight-knit group, they didn't let just anyone into their ranks. He shifted in his seat as the head bartender made her way over to him. He had heard the people talking in the club, some regulars had called her Bones. He could tell by the crease she got between her eyes that she didn't like the nickname, but Booth found that it somehow suited her.

"You must be Bones," he grinned at her, putting on his charm as he took her in. Her eyes reflected the pulsing lights in the club and she had silky brown hair hanging down to her shoulders in soft waves. Booth suddenly felt his mouth grow dry and his palms started to sweat, but he wasn't going to let any of that show. This woman was beyond beautiful and Booth had never felt so attracted to anyone. She made Hannah and Rebecca pale in comparison.

 _Slow down there cowboy,_ he told himself as he took a few deep breaths.

"That's what they call me, what can I get you?" Her voice almost knocked him over, it was smooth and carried the same authority he imagined a queen would have. He could have sworn her cheeks were red and his trademark lopsided grin spread over his face. Before he could catch himself he was leaning in, trying to get a whiff of her scent.

"I don't know, what do you think I'll like?" His smirk grew as she leaned in closer. She smelled like cinnamon and apple pie, his favourite. His eyes were involuntarily drawn to her chest as she leaned forward, her breasts pushing up over the strapless top she was wearing.

 _Oh Lord…_ Booth's thoughts were starting to run away with him and she wasn't making it any easier. He wanted to run his fingers over the tops of her breasts to feel her smooth skin…

 _Get a grip,_ he scolded himself. He was here on business, for now.

"I think I have you figured out," she said, getting started on his drink. Booth shifted in his seat, ignoring the flow of blood to his second brain as he watched her work. He could see why this place was so popular and why she was the head bartender, she had skills that rivalled his own.

"This should be interesting," he mused to himself, watching the fluid movement of her hands and the way her fingers moved elegantly between the bottles and glasses. He was dazzled by her, there was no other word for it. She effortlessly tossed a bottle into the air, spinning it and flipping it upside down before pouring the contents in the glass. She was showing off and he liked it. When the drink was done she placed it in front of him.

"What's this?" He asked, even though he already knew what it was. It was not something he would have chosen, but he had to admit that it was something he needed.

"Sex with the Bartender," she gave him a cheeky smile, leaning over the counter again, this time purposefully giving him an eyeful.

"You read my mind," he said with a wink, taking a sip of the drink. It was good, better than anything else he had ever had.

"I didn't read your mind," she told him, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "I read your body."

Booth almost choked on his drink. This woman sure was something else.

"How does a woman like you end up behind a bar in a place like this?" Booth asked, interested in her answer. Normally that line would be used flirtatiously, but Booth genuinely wanted to know what she was doing here. She was too smart and too pretty to be behind a bar.

She shrugged, keeping her hands busy by cleaning some glasses. She had to do something to stop herself from touching him. His cocky smile and attitude were going to make her melt if she didn't focus on something.

"What's a man like you doing in a place like this?" She answered his question with a question. He wasn't part of her normal clientele, even though he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans she could tell that he spent most of his time in a suit. He belonged in a more upscale joint.

"I heard the service was great," he told her, taking another sip of his drink. Was she imagining it or was he actually flirting with her? Sure, a lot of guys flirted with her when she was behind the bar, but that was only to get their drinks faster. He had his drink, yet he continued to undress her with his eyes. "I wanted to talk to the owner, but I got you instead. Can't say I'm disappointed."

Brennan wondered what his deal was. He wasn't a performer, maybe he was someone's manager? He certainly looked like the hard hitting type who didn't take no for an answer.

"I'm glad I don't disappoint then," Brennan said, grabbing herself a beer from underneath the bar and motioning her head for him to follow her.

He raised his brow, wondering how the head bartender could walk away from the bar mid-shift without being yelled at. If the owner was around surely he wouldn't tolerate this? He grabbed his drink, following Bones to a quieter part of the club and thinking he would most definitely be making some changes after he took over.

Bones settled herself into a booth tucked away in a far corner of the club. It was secluded and private, away from the prying eyes of her squints and the rest of the club. Booth slid in next to her, sitting inches away from her.

"The owner doesn't like talking to people," Bren said, taking a sip of her beer.

"Sooner or later he's going to have to talk to me," Booth said confidently. Brennan didn't bother to correct him on the fact that the owner was a she and not a he.

"And why is that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. The dim lighting in the booth only made his eyes darker than they already were, and her breath hitched in her throat as he turned around a little to face her, his knee bumping into her leg. The contact sent a shock through her that started a fire. She could feel the heat building up inside of her, taking two more sips of beer in order to calm herself down.

Booth was not impervious to the effect he was having on her. Even in the dim lighting, he could see her cheeks redden and her chest start to rise and fall more rapidly. The small contact between them only served to tease him. He wondered what it felt like to have his whole body pressed against hers, nothing but air between them. He was trying to talk business, he knew he should have been talking about business. He should have been trying to get into this woman's head, not her pants, and find out as much as he can about the owner. She looked up at him through long lashes and he couldn't help but admire the curve of her lower lip.

 _Screw the owner,_ he thought as he recalled Aubrey's words. He needed to let off some steam.

"I have a proposal for him," Booth said, closing the gap between the two of them, his side pressed against hers.

Brennan was getting lightheaded. She put the bottle of beer down, afraid of spilling it all over herself. His side pressed against hers sent her into overdrive and a small gasp escaped from her lips.

Booth heard that gasp, smirking to himself. She was interested, which was a good thing since he didn't do rejection anymore. He put his glass down before casually throwing his arm over the back of the booth.

"I'm sure you do," Brennan breathed. She wasn't even sure what they were talking about anymore. She didn't care what they were talking about. His close proximity caused all normal brain function to come to a grinding halt. If she didn't tell herself every few seconds to breathe she would have suffocated by now. With every breath she took in she could smell his aftershave and it was turning her bones to jelly faster than any shot could. "We should…" She started but lost her train of thought as he leaned in, his lips inches away from hers. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face, and she wanted to reach out and run her finger along his jawline.

"I don't even know your name," the thought occurred to her suddenly and she pulled back slightly to look at him.

"It's Jo," he said on a whim, not sure why he didn't tell her his real name. Technically it wasn't a lie, his middle name was Joseph, but no one on this planet had ever called him Jo. Maybe it was because he was afraid she would know the name Seeley Booth and leave him high and dry. Maybe for one night, he could pretend like he wasn't the shark Seeley Booth, he was just a regular guy named Jo.

"Bones is a fun nickname and all, but what's your real name?" He asked, suddenly aware of the fact that he didn't know her name either.

"Temperance," she answered. The name suited her, he could see the temperance in her eyes. They were a storm of emotion and feelings that she failed to express, but he could read it all in those steel gray pools.

"Would you like to get out of here Temperance?"

* * *

Hodgins!" Angela practically pulled him over the counter. "We have a problem!" It was just past midnight and Timo ODV just went on. The bar was quiet, so Hodgins let Angela drag him toward the front of the club, where both Jessica and Wendell were standing.

"What is the problem, Angela?" Hodgins asked. His arm was starting to go numb from the death grip Angela had him in.

"Tell him what you told me," Angela instructed Jessica.

"Okay so about an hour ago three guys come in, all very suave, suit types you know?" Jessica said, her head bopping along to the music. "I just…my gut told me something was off with these guys. They did not look like the types who hang around here. They looked kinda like the men in black, you know? But one wasn't Will Smith and I'm pretty sure they don't fight aliens…" Jessica could have gone on for hours, but Hodgins stopped her.

"Get to the point red," he told her.

"Right, sorry. So I was just about to tell Wendell what my gut said when McHottie over there," she jabbed her thumb in the direction of the bar, where a skinny black haired dude was nursing a beer, "came up to me and started to make small talk. He was charming as anything, and he is kinda cute," Jessica saw the look Hodgins gave her as she started to go off track again. "Right, so I shoot him down and go find Wendell—"

Wendell then decided that they were going to be here all night if Jessica had to tell the story, so he interrupted.

"— and I agreed with her, they were a bit strange. So I did some googling and found this," Wendell held up his phone for Hodgins to see. He was looking at a picture of the skinny dude at the bar along with two other dark-haired dudes in suits. "This photo was taken last night at a charity gala in Philadelphia. The man in the photo on the left is Seeley Booth, the guy who wants to buy this club, and that," Wendell gestured toward skinny at the bar, "is his junior associate."

Hodgins was quick at putting two and two together. "So if Booth's associate his here, that means—"

"— Yes!" Angela cried, shaking Hodgins' arm "Booth must be here! And they are busy checking this place out."

"Let me see the photo again Wendall." Wendall showed his phone to Hodgins again and his stomach dropped. "Oh no." Hodgins turned, his eyes rapidly scanning the bar. Booth was in the club, he was the man in the leather jacket that wanted to talk to Brennan. "Booth is here, and he was talking to Brennan just a few minutes ago!"

Angela's eyes went wide and she nearly shook Hodgins' arm out of its socket. "Where are they? Where is Brennan?"

"You guys looking for Bones?" Fisher chose that exact moment to appear out of nowhere. His white chef's hat was lopsided and he had barbeque sauce on his jacket. "Just saw her slip out the back with this big looking guy."

Hodgins grabbed Wendall's phone, showing Fisher the photograph. "This man?" He pointed to Booth.

"Yep, that's him," Fisher said. "And if you ask me it looked like they were heading to funky town."

"This is bad," Angela panicked. "This is really bad."


	5. The Drugs in the Embrace

**This chapter goes out to 554Laura, Monique, kareneb, Lauwy and Anon447.**

 **A mi revisor en español, no hablo español, pero tengo google translate. Gracias por su revisión. Sólo recuerde, la vida es complicada.**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains lemons. If you do not know what lemons are, just skip to chapter six. There is a reason this story is rated M. Don't read if you don't know what lemons are.**

* * *

 **The Drugs in the Embrace**

 _She moves in black and white_

 _Singing me silent lullabies_

 _With her hands in my sleeves_

 _Cinnamon skies fall at our feet._

 _Adam Jensen_

The moment Booth and Brennan stepped through Brennan's front door he was done trying to be a gentleman. The walk to her apartment was short and the air between them continued to sparkle with electricity as they flirted. Brennan fished out her key, jamming it into the lock before opening her door. She had an apartment in the middle of the city, but she kept one close to the club for nights when she was working.

"You sure about this?" Booth asked her as he looked into her dark apartment. He wanted to make sure, he wasn't going to make her do anything she might regret later.

Her eyes were sparkling with mischief that scared and excited him at the same time.

"Do you want a written invitation?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

"No ma'am." He closed the distance between them with a few long strides, backing her into the apartment before slamming the door shut behind them. They were close, but not touching. A lone light was burning in the kitchen to the right, illuminating the side of Bones' face. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Booth was less than an inch away. They looked at each other for a second, time standing still. It was like that moment before an atomic bomb went off when everything was eerily quiet. The birds had stopped singing, the wind had died down. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath for a second, waiting to let it out in an explosion that would rock them to the core.

Booth broke the silence, closing the distance between them as his lips crashed down on hers. Brennan melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hungrily kissed him back. Tongues clashed as they tried to breathe each other in. Booth's arms wound around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. Brennan gasped into his mouth, her whole body firing up. Being pressed up against his muscled body was better than she could have ever imagined it. Her hands tangled into his hair, tugging on it softly and earning a growl from him that made her insides twist.

Booth's hands found their way to her hips, slipping underneath her shirt to feel her smooth skin. He broke the kiss momentarily to pull her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side and not caring where it went. Bones pushed his leather jacket off his shoulders before tugging his shirt off as well. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips when she saw his naked chest. It was like someone created him in a lab.

 _Chiselled, that's the word you're looking for,_ her brain told her, but right now she wasn't thinking with her brain, she was only thinking with her body.

She ran her hands along his broad shoulders before pulling his lips back to hers. She could taste the Sex with the Bartender on him and it just made him that much hotter. His fingers roamed over her waist and stomach, taking in her smooth curves. Everywhere he touched her a fire started and she couldn't get enough of him.

Booth took a few steps forward until Brennan's back hit the wall. She gasped as the cold wall hit her naked back and she arched into him.

"Fuck," he groaned as he felt her breasts push into him. He was hard for her already and they had only just started. If he could take her all night, he would. She felt too good in his arms and there was no way he was letting her go anywhere anytime soon. He wanted her to feel him for days afterwards.

His curse made Brennan's core clench and she rolled her hips into his, feeling the wetness between her legs. Booth grabbed both her hands, pinning them to her sides as he pushed her up against the wall with his body. Her eyes widened as she felt his erection pressing against her stomach, the feeling of being pinned down beneath him made her squirm.

"Jo…" She breathed, biting his bottom lip as she rolled her hips into him again.

The name sounded strange to Booth, but he was just going to have to pay the price for lying to her. He trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck, biting on the soft skin as her head fell back against the wall. He let go of her hands in order to reach behind her, undoing her bra clasp with one hand before pulling it off. His mouth moved down, leaving bite marks across her collar bone. She moaned, her hands moving back into his hair and tugging on it. "Fuck me…" she moaned and Booth couldn't help but smirk.

"That's the plan baby," he whispered roughly against her skin. He trailed his tongue across the tops of her breasts, his hips keeping her in place against the wall. Her skin was warm, her cheeks flushed as she tried to cross her legs in order to get some friction, but he wasn't going to allow that. He pushed his leg between hers, keeping her legs spread as his mouth moved to her nipples. They were already hard when he sucked on them, getting another groan from Bones. She was intoxicating and Booth was already dizzy. Just being near her was a high that he didn't want to come down from.

"Jo," this time she used his name as a demand. Booth let go of her nipple, his hands already pushing her jeans and panties down. He helped her step out of them before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the condom Aubrey had so generously given him earlier that evening.

"Hold on to that," he told Bones before relieving himself of his jeans.

 _Fuck,_ Bones thought to herself as he got out of his jeans. The man was built extremely well. It was almost a crime that he had to wear clothes.

"Bedroom's to the left," she breathed as she opened the packet and rolled the condom onto his hard length. She gave him a few quick strokes, biting her lip as she saw his eyes get darker.

"Who said anything about the bedroom?" His arms wrapped around her waist as he lifted her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around his hips, bracing herself against him as he held her up. She had to admit, she didn't want to wait until the bedroom either. Their lips found each other again and Brennan closed her eyes, feeling herself get lost in him. Booth moved one hand to her ass, squeezing it slightly as he kept her steady.

Brennan groaned and bit his lower lip hard as he slid into her. Her walls opened for her and she felt her core tighten as he filled her.

"Fuck, Temperance," Booth groaned, feeling her walls clench around him. She was fucking perfect.

"Yes please," she breathed, her nails digging into his shoulders as he started to move in and out of her, slowly at first and then picking up the pace. He was struggling to breathe and struggling to think straight. Her hands moved up and down his back, nails leaving their marks all over him. He buried his face in her neck, biting her hard and sucking on her skin, leaving her a mark to remember this by.

His hips moved faster, pushing into her as deep as she could take him.

"Faster, please," she begged, crying out as he thrust into her again, her back hitting the wall over and over. She knew she was going to be stiff and sore tomorrow, but right now she didn't care. The heat between them was unbearable and her core clenched tightly. Booth felt her walls close around him and he braced her against the wall, squeezing her ass again as she came for him. Her orgasm ripped through her, causing her to yell his name. Booth bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from screaming out as well. Her hips kept moving, riding him as she came. He thrust into her a last time before letting go, joining in her pleasure.

Brennan fell forward, her whole body felt like jelly and she had trouble staying up against the wall. Booth wrapped both arms around her again, supporting her as he breathed heavily, trying to get some oxygen back to his brain. Her legs gave way and she let go of his hips. He eased out of her, putting her back down on the floor and keeping his arms around her just in case.

"That was…" he heard her mumble against his chest "… fucking incredible." He grinned as he kissed the top of her head, letting go of her when he was sure she could stand.

"Bedroom?" He asked, pointing to the door on their left. They missed the bedroom by a few inches, but he didn't want to wait that long.

She nodded, pushing her hair out of her face as she walked into her room. Booth pulled the condom off, tying a knot in it before tossing it in the bin by the door. He followed her into the bedroom, falling down next to her on the bed. They lay in silence for a few minutes, listening to the other one breathe. After a few minutes, their breathing returned to normal and Booth turned on his side to watch her. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks were still red. He reached out, trailing one finger down her cheek, over her neck and the mark he left, and down her collarbone. She didn't move, but he could see the small smile on her face.

"You are beautiful," he hadn't meant to say it out loud, it just slipped out. His brain still wasn't functioning properly. His finger traced over her breast, playing with her nipple until it hardened again. He leaned into her, taking her nipple into his mouth and rolling it between his teeth. She sighed, arching her back into him. He bit her nipple softly, this time getting a moan. She moved so fast he didn't see it coming. She threw one leg around his waist before pushing him back into the bed, moving over him and straddling him. She tossed her hair over one shoulder, looking down at him.

"Did you leave a hickey on my neck?" She raised a playful eyebrow at him as she circled her hips down into him, her hands roaming his chest.

"Maybe," he grinned up at her, turning on his charm. "Something to remember me by tomorrow." He waggled his brows at her and she couldn't help but laugh.

She leaned down, her lips at his ear. "We're not in high school, you're supposed to leave hickeys in other places," she whispered, biting his earlobe and laughing softly as his hips jerked up into her.

"I would be happy to leave you hickeys in a few other places baby," he growled and Brennan smirked, biting his earlobe again.

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

 **So, I admit, it's been a while since I've written a sex scene. I'm rusty, so if the logistics or hand placements or whatever don't make sense, I'm sorry. Also, the next chapter will take a while, since I'm only going to be back on the 6th of July. Hope the smut makes up for it!**


	6. The Mistake in the Bedroom

**I'm back! Thanks for the reviews and let me know what you think!**

 **The Mistake in the Bedroom**

 _Sleep on me, feel the rhythm in my chest, just breathe_

 _I will stay so the lantern in your heart won't fade_

 _The secrets you tell me I'll take to my grave_

 _There are bones in my closet, but you hang stuff anyway_

The morning sun peeked in through the curtains, causing Booth to stir. For a moment he forgot where he was, but her body wrapped around his reminded him. A small smirk spread across his lips as he recalled their night and the many times they rolled around between the sheets. She sure as hell knew what she was doing. He shifted slightly, rolling Bones over on her other side. She was still fast asleep, her silky hair sticking out in various directions and a smile on her lips. Booth gently stood up, careful not to wake her. He stretched out, ignoring the throbbing pain in his lower back. He padded toward her bathroom, relieving himself before splashing some water over his face. He couldn't remember the last time he had a night like last night, hell it was possible that last night was the first time he had ever had sex like _that_. He had never experienced such passion from Rebecca or Hannah, and he had known both of them for years. He didn't even know Temperance's last name and she was the best fuck he's ever had.

Booth made his way to the kitchen, gathering his clothes along the way. Once there he pulled on his briefs and jeans, putting his shirt and jacket down on the counter. He didn't mean to snoop, but he was thirsty as fuck, so he opened her fridge. There was a bottle of water in the door and he quickly downed it, feeling better. He let his eyes roam over her place, taking it in. Someone's home always said a lot about who they were.

She had an open plan kitchen and living room, both were decorated with various items that didn't belong to the United States. Booth didn't know much about other cultures, but the masks against the living room wall looked African and the idols in the bookcase looked Indian. He wandered into the living room, examining the books in the bookcase. There were a lot of books about African and Indian cultures mixed with books on mixing drinks and bartending. He expected those, she was a bartender after all, but the rest of the books made no sense to him. She obviously wasn't a sports fan, her apartment didn't even have a television, at least not one he could see. He walked back to the kitchen, spotting a stack of bills on the counter. Once again, he wasn't snooping, he was just curious about her. He flipped through the mail until he found one with her last name on it. He almost dropped the envelope, a lump forming in his throat. The envelope was addressed to a T. Brennan. Unable to help himself, Booth carefully opened the envelope to see what was inside. It was a rent bill for The Lab.

"Ah fuck," he cursed himself. Was it possible? Had he actually slept with the owner of The Lab? And not just once but multiple times? No, it couldn't be.

He put the bill back in the envelope, setting it down and looking around her kitchen for any other clues. T. Brennan. _Temperance_ Brennan. Booth spotted a framed photo on a shelf near the door and headed over. The photo was of a couple of people standing in front of The Lab. He recognised the curly haired bartender and the redhead Aubrey tried to chat up. The photo was captioned _Lab Opening._ Temperance was standing in the middle, smiling brightly. She was the owner of The Lab. Booth slept with the woman he intended to drive out of business if she didn't want to sell to him. Things had just gotten so much more complicated than he wanted them to be.

Booth wasn't the fuck and run type, but he had to get out of here. He half ran back to the kitchen, pulling his shirt on before searching his jacket pocket for his phone. Mercifully it still had some battery life. He had a few missed calls and texts from both Sweets and Aubrey. His first call was to Sweets.

"Booth, it's 7am," Sweets groaned as he picked up the phone.

"I don't care, I need you to pick me up, no questions asked. I'm texting you the address." Booth hung up, not giving Sweets much of a choice. He shrugged on his jacket before going on the hunt for his shoes. He ducked his head back into the bedroom, relieved to find that she was still asleep. He found his shoes and pulled them on before practically running out of the door.

Sweets was outside, looking a little green as he sat behind the wheel of their rental car.

"Just drive," Booth snapped at him before Sweets could open his mouth. Sweets just shrugged and drove down the street, heading back to the hotel.

Booth took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down so he could think straight. So he had slept with her, it didn't mean anything. It was a one night stand and nothing more. He was not about to let it stand in the way of his takeover. If anything, he was more determined than ever to get The Lab. And now he was at an advantage, he knew who the owner was. She obviously didn't know who he was, otherwise she would not have slept with him. That was good, he liked having an advantage. Now he had something to hold over her as well. He could see all the ways this could work in his favour. He just had to get the feeling of her lips on his and her hands on his skin out of his head.

Sweets held his mouth until they were in the hotel lobby and in the elevator. He pressed the penthouse button before turning to Booth.

"What happened last night?" Sweets asked, leaning back against the wall.

"I went home with the bartender and needed a quick escape," Booth answered. He was not about to tell his colleagues that he slept with the owner of The Lab. Some things a man just needed to keep to himself.

Sweets had that look on his face that said he didn't quite believe Booth. Before he could ask another question the doors opened and they stepped into the penthouse.

"There he is!" Aubrey greeted them loudly, causing Sweets to cringe and rub his head. Aubrey was leaning against the kitchen counter, a bowl of cereal in his hands. "Mr One Night Stand himself. How was it?" Aubrey grinned before taking a bite of his cereal. Milk ran down his chin and he quickly wiped it off. "Did you have fun?" He waggled his brows at Booth, who just glared at him and made his way to his bedroom. He needed a few hours of sleep, and then they had to get to work.

* * *

Brennan woke up to a cold and empty bed. She sat up straight, her body protesting every move. She pushed her hair out of her face, a small frown creasing her forehead as she looked at the empty space next to her. She didn't know why her chest tightened at the sight, but it was not an enjoyable feeling. She got to her feet, groaning softly as her muscles pulled and tightened. Her body was stiff and tight, but it was a reminder of a good night. Brennan headed for the kitchen, grabbing her robe and throwing it on on the way out. The apartment was empty, Booth's clothes were nowhere to be found. He left.

It hit her harder than she wanted it to. Her chest tightened again and her stomach felt hollow. She didn't know why. Was she expecting him to stay? Why would he, it was just a one night stand after all? It wasn't like she never had a one night stand before. Sex was an essential part of human survival and masturbating couldn't always satisfy her needs. She hadn't been in a stable relationship since Pete broke up with her five years ago and she occasionally needed to indulge in a one night stand to take care of herself. Sleeping with Jo was nothing more than taking care of a primal need.

 _Then why do you feel sad that he's gone?_ Her inner voice asked her, but she ignored it. She was not sad that he wasn't here anymore, she was sad that the night was over. She's had a lot of sex, but last night was definitely the best she's ever had. She was merely disappointed that it was over, that's all. She turned on the coffee machine before picking up all her clothing and throwing them into the hamper in her room. She fished her phone out of her jeans. The battery had run out, so she left it in her room and on charge. The coffee machine had finished by the time she returned to the kitchen, filling the whole apartment with the scent of Tanzanian brewed coffee. She grabbed a cup from the rack and poured herself some. Her stomach grumbled, indicating that she wanted food. She hadn't been in the apartment for over a week, so she doubted that she had anything to eat. She opened the fridge anyway, just to make sure. There was a bottle of ketchup, some packs of veggies, tomatoes and a bottle of wine, but no breakfast food. She would have to go to the diner.

Brennan took her cup with her as she headed for the shower. She threw her robe over the edge of the bathtub before climbing into the shower. The warm water hit her back, causing the tension to escape from her shoulders. She looked down at herself, smirking as she spotted all the love bites he left on her. She would have to hide the one he left on her neck, but the others were in more private places. She allowed herself to indulge in the memories of last night for the remainder of her shower. She closed her eyes as she washed her hair and her body, pretending it was his hands still on her.

"Brennan? Sweetie?" Angela's voice interrupted her thoughts and Brennan sighed. It was well and truly over now.

"Shower!" She yelled as she turned the water off, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her body just in time before Angela came bursting into the bathroom.

"Where have you been? I left you like six hundred messages!" Worry was plastered over her best friend's face. Brennan grabbed another towel and dried her hair with it.

"I've been here. I'm sorry, my phone died through the night, probably from your six hundred calls."

Angela's glare could have killed Brennan if it were possible. The brunette put her hands on her hips. "Don't give me lip, who were you with?"

"Some guy from the bar. Said his name was Jo." Brennan walked past Angela and back into her bedroom, pulling out a fresh pair of underwear from her drawer. Angela trailed behind her, sitting down on her bed. She was on her phone, her fingers furiously tapping away. "This guy?" Angela asked, holding her phone up for Brennan to see.

Brennan pulled on her bra and panties before leaning in to look at the screen. On it was a picture of Jo, all cleaned up and looking sharp in a suit.

"Yes that's him," Brennan said as she pulled on a pair of jeans. It took her a few seconds to realise that something didn't make sense. "Why do you have a picture of him, Ange?"

Angela looked like she was about to murder someone. "Because his name's not Jo. That's Seeley Booth, the man who wants to buy The Lab."


	7. The Myth in the Legend

**I'm creating a playlist for this story, so keep an eye out! Thanks for all the reviews! Reviews make me excited, and when I'm excited I write faster, which means more reviews = faster updates. Also, this chapter was so much fun to write, and it's the longest one yet. Please don't hold back your reactions!**

 **If I could thank you all personally for the reviews I would, but I'm thanking you by posting this new chapter.**

 **Some of the characters have been changed for the purpose of this story, Booth is more power hungry, Aubrey and Jessica are in it, Cam's a lawyer, Jared's a mobster…but keep reading to find out!**

 **The Myth in the Legend**

 _The devil you know, the devil you know, than the devil you don't_

 _'Cause better to know the devil you know, the devil you don't_

 _Cause wherever you go, wherever you go_

 _With the devil you know you're never alone_

 _But it's better to know the devil you know, than the devil you don't._

Brennan sat down on the bed, the air knocked out of her. She had just slept with the man who wanted to ruin her. _And he lied about it._ She went through a whole range of emotions before she finally settled on anger.

"He didn't tell me his real name, the motherfucker!" She raged. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She could feel the heat creeping up her neck, her own face mimicking Angela's 'I want to murder someone' look. She couldn't believe that he had the audacity to lie to her like that. Who gave him the right to treat her like some floozy? Somewhere in the back of her mind the rational part of her argued that she wasn't truthful either.

 _I just neglected to tell him my surname. He didn't even tell me his real name,_ she argued back, getting up and stomping around her bedroom.

"Can we kill him?" She asked Angela, who shook her head.

"Unfortunately no, I don't look good in orange. But we do have a meeting with Cam to discuss our options."

Brennan grabbed a shirt from her dresser and pulled it on, taking a few deep breaths and gathering her thoughts. So she slept with Seeley Booth. It didn't mean anything. He didn't know who she was and that she was the owner of The Lab. She could still have the upper hand here. She was more determined than ever to stop him from ruining her and buying her club. Besides, she had another ace up her sleeve, and that ace was called Camille Saroyan. If Seeley Booth wanted to play games then she was going to damn well win.

"Great, after that, I need to punch something," Brennan grabbed a pair of boots from her closet and pulled them on. She felt like she needed another shower now that she knew whose hands were touching her the whole night…and yet her core still clenched when she thought about him. Her body still ached when she moved and she would never be able to look at the wall outside of her bedroom the same way again. Her head spun when she thought about his lips on hers, kissing her with such fire she was afraid they were going to explode. She remembered his lips trailing down her neck, kissing her softly and leaving marks all over her body…

"Is it too early to get a drink?" Angela wondered, pulling Brennan out of her daydream.

"It's never too early for alcohol," Brennan grabbed Angela's hand and pulled her out of the bedroom. The two of them walked the two blocks to the diner, where Cam was already waiting for them.

Camille Saroyan was polished. That was the word Brennan associated with The Lab's lawyer. Camille's black hair was smoothed back into a perfect ponytail. She was wearing a long black coat and black heels, looking more like she belonged at a Vogue photoshoot than at their little diner.

"Sorry we're late Cam," Angela said as they sat down at the table. Brennan didn't even have to look at the menu to know that she wanted a veggie burger. She was starving, being active the whole night sure took it out of you.

"It's not a problem," Cam said, brushing off Angela's apology. Cam knew what she had gotten herself into when she signed on. She loved both Brennan and Angela, but sometimes it felt like she was shooting at the moon. "I see you've had a rough night," she motioned to Brennan, who was already holding her cup out for coffee. The waitress came by to fill up their cups and take their orders.

"Like you would not believe," Brennan said as she took a sip of the coffee. Her head was starting to pound and she was suddenly very aware of the fact that she only got four hours of sleep last night. Cam gave her a slight smirk, but didn't say anything more.

"I think Bren is in for a couple of rough nights," Angela said as she mindlessly flipped through the menu. "We've got problems."

Cam raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, taking a careful sip of her coffee. "How so?" She asked as she placed the cup back on the table.

"Seeley Booth is in town and gunning for us," Brennan said, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"I see," Cam was silent for a moment before speaking again. "That is a problem." If there was anyone who knew how Seeley Booth worked, it was Cam. She worked as Booth's attorney for a couple of years before moving to DC and starting her own firm. She knew exactly how Booth worked, and that's what made her valuable to Brennan. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

Angela and Brennan exchanged a glance and Angela shrugged. "We only found out last night. We know you're not nocturnal like the rest of us."

Brennan was grateful that Angela didn't tell Cam that she slept with Booth. She wanted to keep that fact from her team and employees for as long as possible. Although, knowing Angela, half of the club probably already knew by now. Cam gave them a look that said she didn't fully believe them, but she didn't push the issue. She knew now and that's all that mattered.

"What can you tell us about Booth?" Brennan asked as their food came. She dug into her burger with gusto as Cam picked at her fruit bowl.

"He's ruthless and he always gets what he wants." Cam couldn't remember a time when Seeley Booth didn't get what he wanted. He liked to be in control of everything, which made him dangerous and vulnerable at the same time. "He'll come to you three times. Each time his offer will be better than the last. He only gives you three chances, after the third one things start to go south. You'll start to miss shipments, employees will be offered better jobs, anonymous comments on social media will damage your reputation, those sort of things. He'll give you no choice but to sell to him, and after you do he'll turn your club into the greatest club in the world." Booth was a hard man, but not even Cam could deny that the man knew what he was doing with his business. His clubs never failed and went down as some of the greatest clubs ever. The fact that he was going after The Lab should be flattering, it meant that he saw potential. Unfortunately it also meant that her friends would lose everything they've worked so hard for.

"There must be something we can do?" Angela asked as she bit into her toasted sandwich.

"There's not much you can do, no one has ever been able to prove that Booth does all these things to force owners to sell. He's clean." Cam wasn't even sure how Booth got away with all the things he did, she speculated that he had an inside source at the FBI, but she could never be sure. It was either that, or his lawyer was fantastic at her job.

"What if I can play his game better?" Brennan asked, popping a fry into her mouth.

"You can try, but I can't see how you're going to manage it."

"I have a few ideas. What can we do from a legal standpoint?"

Camille wiped her mouth with a napkin before speaking again. "I'll go over the contracts with our vendors, make sure they're air tight with no loopholes so that Booth can't attack us from there. I'll also talk to the DCPD again about our gang problem."

"Maybe we should consider talking to Clarke…" Angela trailed off, giving Brennan a look. Sooner or later, Booth was going to discover that they haven't been on friendly terms with the DC Vipers. Clarke could be a valuable layer of protection against Booth. Brennan didn't want to deal with the Vipers, it would mean giving into their foolish demands. The land she built the club on was hers, not theirs. She was not going to pay them off because she was 'in their territory.' The idea was absurd…but now that they were under fire from a bigger threat maybe it was time to talk to Clarke.

"I don't want to know how you plan on colluding with gangs. The less I know about that, the better." Cam reached for her purse. "Let me know once Booth has made contact, I'll be in touch."

 _He's already made contact,_ Brennan thought darkly, but she just continued to eat her fries as Cam put a few bills on the table before leaving.

"Set up a meeting with Clarke, but tell him to be discreet. I'd rather work with him than his brother," Brennan instructed Angela once Cam was gone. "I'm going to catch a few hours of sleep, then I want you to set up a meeting with Booth. Let's see if we can surprise him."

* * *

Booth looked into the mirror as he fixed his tie. Once it was just right he reached for the glass of scotch on the counter and took a sip. The day had been productive. He listened to reports from both Sweets and Aubrey about the employees of The Lab. They were fiercely loyal, which meant they were not going to be easy to buy off. Luckily, everyone had a price. Sweets managed to flirt with the owner's publicist, but he didn't get much out of her. She talked a lot, but never about anything important to their operation. Aubrey sampled one of those bone killer shots, it had been a dare from the redheaded hostess, and he could attest to its powers. He almost didn't make it back to the hotel. If Sweets had not thought ahead and ordered them an uber, both of them would still be passed out in the club's bathroom. They didn't attempt to fish for anymore details about Booth's night, which he was grateful for. Around two pm Sweets got a call from Bones' publicist, Angela. She wanted to arrange a meeting between the owner and Booth, six pm sharp at The Lab. That was a first for them, usually they initiated the first meeting. Booth should have known then that something was up, but he was intrigued and curious about how the meeting would go. It was a little after five and Booth had broken out his best suit, tie, and his funkiest socks. Whatever the night may bring, he was ready. He finished the scotch, leaving the glass on the counter before joining Aubrey and Sweets in the living room. Angela had requested a one-on-one meeting, so the kids were staying at home tonight. They had already made themselves comfortable, the mini bar was packed out in front of them and knowing Aubrey, room service was already on their way.

"Looking sharp, boss," Aubrey said as he caught a glimpse of Booth. His momentary lapse in focus caused Sweets to get the upper hand on whichever game they were playing on the PlayStation. "You're going to pay for that," Aubrey said to Sweets as he furiously pressed the buttons on his controller.

"Come at me bro," Sweets taunted him, grinning to himself. Booth just had to roll his eyes at the two of them. He had given them the night off and they chose to spend it playing video games. Nerds.

"Don't break anything while I'm gone, and don't wait up," Booth grabbed his cellphone before making his way to the elevator.

"Have fun!" Sweets called after him as the doors closed behind him and he started his descent. This was going to be interesting.

The drive to The Lab was short. Booth parked the rental car in one of the open spaces on the curb before jumping out. The club wouldn't open for a few more hours, so he was sure no drunken kid would come near the car. Sweets and Aubrey already cost him a fortune of upkeep, he wasn't about to pay for damage to the car as well. Unsure of where to go, Booth pushed on the front door of The Lab. It swung open and Booth stepped inside. The place was dimly lit and soft music was playing in the background. A bright light shone from the upstairs platform and Booth made his way toward it. She was leaning against the railing, waiting for him. His palms started to sweat and he almost slapped himself. Now was not the time to be nervous. He had to put on his business face, he had a job to do and she was not going to stop him. He could make out a few words from the music playing in the background.

 _I keep a close watch on this heart of mine_

 _I keep my eyes wide open all the time_

 _I keep the ends out for the tie that binds_

 _Because you're mine, I walk the line._

As he ascended the stairs she came into full view. His jaw almost fell to the ground. She was wearing a very short, very tight black dress with 'fuck me' heels. Her hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, a few curls escaping to frame her face. She was looking for trouble in that dress.

She raised an eyebrow at him as he stood in front of her. "You don't seem surprised to see me."

"I'm not surprised," he said, completely playing his hand. What was it about this woman that made him forget all reason? He didn't want to give away the fact that he knew who she was. It was clear that she knew who he was as well, because she didn't look surprised at all.

"Did you know who I was last night?" She asked. He considered saying yes, just to shake her, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. For some completely insane reason he didn't want her to think that he slept with her just because it was some sort of game to get her company. He did want her company, but when he slept with her last night he wasn't playing any games.

"No, I only found out this morning."

He saw a flash of fire in her eyes before her hand slapped him across the cheek. It happened so fast he didn't have time to react. His cheek stung as he placed his hand over it.

"That's for lying to me, _Jo,_ " the sarcasm dripped from her voice as she said his fake name. Booth couldn't help it, he laughed out loud, rubbing his cheek. She was feisty, and he liked a feisty woman.

"I probably deserved that," he admitted, still chuckling. "I think we need a proper introduction." He held his hand out for her to shake. "Seeley Booth."

The whole situation was bizarre. It didn't carry the weight of a business meeting yet. It was as if being around her turned him into a whole other person.

"Temperance Brennan," she said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. "Sit down," she instructed, motioning to the orange couch. Once again, Booth found that he was surprised. Bossy and feisty? That was a dangerous combination. He sat down, letting her take the lead. He wanted to see where this would go. She sat down on the white chair opposite the couch, a coffee table between them. She crossed her legs, the dress riding up a few inches and causing Booth to take a sharp breath in. She was really looking for trouble.

"You want my club." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," he answered, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his eyes firmly locked on hers. They were here to talk business, and even though she was very good at distracting him, he was not going to let it get to him. He's done this a thousand times, the fact that he knew how it felt to be between her legs changed nothing.

"Why should I sell it to you?" She asked, leaning forward as well, her breasts pushing up against the silky black fabric of her dress.

 _Focus, think with the big brain,_ Booth told himself, but all he could do was picture ripping that dress off with his bare hands.

"Because I can make it great," he said. His mind wasn't really capable of giving complex answers. A small smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. She was winning this round and Booth could not stand that. He didn't lose.

"It's already great," she said, uncrossing her legs and crossing them again.

 _Holy fuck._ Booth needed to get a grip and fast. He started picturing Aubrey naked and it instantly turned him off food and sex for the next few days.

"I can make it fantastic," Booth said, holding her gaze. He needed to take control of the situation again, so he kept talking. "I can make it legendary. My reputation precedes me, you know what I can do. Your club has potential. Imagine A-list celebrities coming to you and asking if they can preform. Imagine a line that stretches three or four blocks just to get in. The best bartenders and the best chefs in the world will be begging to work here."

The fire in her eyes had dimmed a little and a feeling of guilt washed over him for the first time in years. "And how do I, and my team, figure into your grand plan?" It was a loaded question, one he knew she was not going to like the answer to. He noted how she referred to her employees as her team. They were well and truly a family here.

"You can stay on as the manager, but curly and the rest will have to go if they don't make the cut." It was the harsh reality of taking over a business and making it great. Sometimes you had to trim the fat.

"You have high standards, don't you Booth?" She asked, examining his face.

"I simply refuse to tolerate mediocrity. My partner will send you my official first offer and you can look through the paperwork. I think you'll find my terms satisfactory." Booth sat back, keeping his face straight. He felt like he was in control again, like he was winning.

"Then we don't have anything else to discuss. You can go," she stood up, walking back to the railing and leaning against it, her back to him.

He had just been dismissed for the first time in his life. A sudden flare of anger sparked inside of him. He at least wanted her to acknowledge that he had won. Booth rarely acted on an impulse, but she infuriated him and dazzled him at the same time and he didn't know what to make of it. He pushed off the couch, walking over to her. His hands grabbed hers, turning her around so that she was facing him. He stepped into her, his body pressed against hers. He heard her breath go ragged and steely grey eyes looked up at him.

"We have plenty left to discuss, Bones," he hissed lowly, his lips so close to hers she could almost taste the scotch on him. "I will get what I want, sooner or later, that's up to you." He ducked down, his lips by her ear. His breath tickled her skin and she shivered. It took all her willpower to keep her body from melting into him. His hands on hers felt like they were on fire and she involuntarily tilted her head back. "I'm just getting started Bones," he growled, biting her earlobe and causing a moan to escape from her lips. He kissed her neck softly, grazing his teeth over the bite mark he left her last night to remind her that he always got his way.

"Booth…" she sighed, and then he was gone, his warmth replaced with the cold air in the club. "Fuck!"


	8. The Bartender and the Buffalo Wings

**The Bartender and the Buffalo Wings.**

 _It's a little after midnight_

 _There's a couple in the corner, and I wonder what he said_

 _Because she's crying_

 _And I guess they won't remember when they wake up in the morning_

 _With a headache from the whiskey and the wine._

Angela pushed the wings around on her plate, a half finished martini in front of her. She was sitting at the bar in The Lab, waiting for it to open. Booth and Brennan's meeting only lasted an hour, after which Brennan declared she was going home for the night. It was now 30 minutes before the club would open, and all around her, the team was busy preparing. Vincent was already on stage, getting ready for his set. Wendell and Jessica were at the front door, talking softly to each other and laughing. Hodgins was behind the bar, cleaning a glass. Angela was sure Fisher was in the kitchen, yelling at his prodigy, Finn, for not getting the wings just right. Angela thought Finn's wings were great, but Fisher didn't think so. He pushed the poor kid hard, but that's what you got for working at one of the best clubs in DC.

"Something on your mind Ange?" Hodgins asked, watching as she played with her food. Angela dropped the fork and sighed.

"I'm worried about what this whole thing with Booth will do to her."

Hodgins nodded, sharing in her worry. He had grown quite fond of their boss and had gotten to know her quite well. The Lab was all she had, it was her life's dream, and he sure as hell didn't want to see it be taken away from her.

"I take their meeting didn't go well?" Hodgins was in the back, experimenting with new drinks during Booth and Brennan's meeting. Angela asked him to hide out there, in case Brennan needed some help. She didn't trust Booth enough to leave him alone with Brennan.

"No it did not," she held up her phone, the screen showing an email from Booth's associate, James Aubrey. "It's the first proposal for the takeover. Brennan and I are going to go over it tomorrow with Cam before we meet with Clarke."

"This is serious, isn't it?" The club has always had problems with the Vipers, but it was never serious. He knew Brennan refused to pay the Vipers out of principle, stubborn woman, but now that she was reaching out to them he knew she must be desperate.

"Yes. If we lose this club, I'm afraid we'll lose her too," Angela sighed, the worry clear on her face. She met Brennan years ago while both of them were still in college. She was the dreamer and Brennan was the do-er. Brennan was the calm before Angela's storm, her best friend and the only person in the world who understood her. Angela couldn't afford to loose her best friend. Hodgins put down his glass and reached over the counter to take Angela's hand.

"We're not going to lose the club, we can fight this, okay?" He squeezed her hand and Angela looked up at him. Hodgins has been madly in love with her for the better part of two years now. It showed on his face, the way his bright blue eyes would light up when she entered the room, the way he gave her a small, lopsided smile when she looked at him, the way his mood always brightened when she was close. Angela knew he had a crush on her, but she didn't know how deep it went. He never plucked up the courage to ask her out, always telling himself that he was waiting for the right time. Now was not it, they had bigger things to worry about.

"Okay," she nodded, squeezing his hand back and giving him a smile. "We're going to kick Booth's ass."

"That's my girl," he winked at her before going back to cleaning glasses. Angela took a sip of her martini, a plan forming in her mind.

"We need dirt," she said out loud, causing Hodgins to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Dirt?"

"Yes, on Booth. Two can play his game, and if he's going to blackmail us, then maybe we can blackmail him back."

"You've got that look on your face," Hodgins said, topping up her martini.

"What look?" Angela asked, taking a sip of the drink.

"The 'I'm a mad genius' look."

"This is just my face Hodgins," she gave him a pointed look, which just made him chuckle.

"How do you plan on digging up dirt on Booth? You can bet he stays out of the papers just as well as Brennan does," Hodgins ducked underneath the counter to grab two new bottles of tequila.

"That's true." Angela was silent for a few moments, watching as Hodgins put the bottles up on the shelf. "Maybe I can seduce his publicist."

"What?" Hodgins almost dropped the last bottle. He put it down on the shelf with a loud bang before turning to Angela. "What?"

Angela rolled her eyes at him. "Relax, it'll just be some harmless flirting. He was doing it just last night to me."

"I don't like it," Hodgins said, shaking his head. Of course, he wouldn't like it. He never liked the idea of her flirting with another man.

"You don't have to sweetie. I'm doing it for Brennan."

Hodgins mulled it over for a few minutes. He felt like he needed a drink, but he couldn't drink on the job. "Fine, but please be careful."

Angela leaned over the counter, kissing is cheek and lingering a little longer than usual. "Have a good night Hodgins."

* * *

Brennan tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. She was in bed, her body was sore and tired, but her mind was in overdrive. She kept thinking about Booth's lips on her ear and how his body felt pressed against her. It was driving her mad and turning her on at the same time. He was an impossible, irrational man who made her forget all logic. He was the enemy, she was not supposed to be thinking of his hands on her body.

"Agh!" She yelled, throwing the covers off her in an attempt to cool her body down. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her breathing and trying to calm down. He had left her wanting more with no intention of giving it to her and it made her furious. She counted to one hundred, her heart rate slowing down. She had an excellent ability to compartmentalise, and that's what she had to do now. She took Booth, along with his molten brown eyes, strong arms and chiselled chest, and put him in a box. She counted to one hundred and fifty. She closed the box, pushing it into a row filled with boxes. She would not think about him (sexually) for the rest of the evening. Instead, she would think about ways to save her club from a power hungry tyrant who wanted to take it from her. Her club was the only family she had, and she would protect it like a lioness protected her cubs. Booth was the enemy and she would treat him as such.

She turned on her side, clutching a pillow to her chest. Cam texted her an hour ago, just after she left the club, to tell her that she was able to secure their vendors. That lifted a little weight Brennan's chest, it was one less thing to worry about. At least Booth couldn't stop her supplies from coming in. That meant business could continue as usual, and as long as business continued she was safe. Angela also texted to say that she received Booth's first offer and that they would go through it tomorrow with Cam. She also told Brennan not to worry, and that everything would be fine. Angela had no possible way of knowing that for sure, but Brennan just thanked her and turned her phone off. She wasn't in the mood to stay in the club after Booth left, so she headed home to climb out of that ridiculously tight dress. It didn't do a very good job of distracting Booth, he remained focused throughout the meeting, so at least now she knew he wasn't completely subject to her womanly charms. Not that she considered herself charming, but she did have an attractive body, so why not use it to her advantage when the opportunity presented itself?

"I don't have to defend my actions to myself," she muttered under her breath, burying her nose in the pillow. She was at her home in central DC where there were no memories of Booth. She just closed her eyes, ready to sleep, when her stomach growled loudly. The only thing she had to eat today was breakfast at the diner. "Damn," she cursed, turning on her back. Now that she was calm and the excitement of the day had passed her body decided to inform her that she was starving. Knowing that she would not get any sleep with her stomach growling loudly, she got up. She switched the light on before pulling on a pair of jeans, boots and a navy blue shirt. She grabbed her car keys and a jacket before heading out the door. Her stomach was craving something in particular. Mushroom ravioli and a beer from Founding Fathers. She considered texting Angela, but then remembered she left her phone off on her nightstand. Maybe it was for the best, she needed some time to herself.

Founding Fathers was busy, it was just after eight and most people usually went out for dinner and drinks around that time. Aldo, the bartender, waved her over when she stepped through the door.

"How's it going Temperance?" He asked as she leaned on the counter.

"Good. I see things are busy." She looked around, not seeing any open tables.

Aldo nodded. "There's a space next to the brooding dude on the other end of the bar. What can I get you?"

Brennan started to make her way around the bar. "Can I get a mushroom ravioli and a beer please?"

"Coming up," Aldo nodded and punched the order in on his computer. Brennan rounded the bar and stopped dead in her tracks.

Booth was sitting at the other end, his head bent down and a beer in his one hand. He had changed out of his suit and into a pair of jeans, a red shirt and the same leather jacket he wore last night. The only open space was beside him. Brennan started to panic as the boxes in her mind threatened to spill open. He hadn't seen her yet, so she could still turn around and run. Though it wouldn't be healthy, she could get some fries and a sandwich from Subway on the way home. Her stomach growled in protest, but she shushed it.

Booth lifted his head, his eyes finding hers. She thought she saw a small flicker of a smile cross his face, but it was gone so fast she could have imagined it. He clearly saw that she was about to run out of there, so he inclined his head toward the chair next to him, silently telling her to sit down.

It was too late now to run, so Brennan walked over, took off her jacket and sat down next to him. "Booth," she greeted him, amazed at how calm she sounded.

"Bones," he greeted her back, lifting his beer to his mouth and taking a swing. "I'm just finishing up, so whoever's joining you can have this seat."

He assumed she was meeting someone, and instead of saying yes she was meeting someone, she shook her head. "Don't rush on my account, I'm not meeting someone."

He raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. "You're alone?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" She asked, keeping her tone light.

"It should be a crime for a beautiful woman to eat alone," he replied, giving her a charming grin. She almost fell out of her chair. Did he just call her beautiful? Sure he said it numerous times last night, but in the heat of passion, people said many things.

"Here you go buddy," Aldo appeared, a plate of buffalo wings in his hands. He placed it in front of Booth. "Can I get you a refill?" Aldo indicated to Booth's empty beer bottle. Booth nodded. Aldo grabbed his beer, setting it down before giving Brennan her beer. "Your food will be right out Tempe."

"Thanks, Aldo," she said as she grabbed the beer, taking a swing of it before turning to Booth. "Almost done huh?"

"I was going to ask for a takeaway," he admitted, shrugging.

"No need, I appreciate the company," she said.

"Happy to be of service," he said, not touching his wings. Brennan was glad that he didn't feel the need to discuss work, and she had to admit that he wasn't bad company.

"Why aren't you eating? The wings here are great. Not as good as The Lab's, but still great."

Booth grinned his famous lopsided grin. "I'm being a gentleman Bones, and waiting for your food to get here."

She smirked, nudging his shoulder teasingly. "I didn't know you even knew what a gentleman was."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. He was enjoying her company more than he should have, and in some other life maybe they would have made great friends, but he didn't want to dwell on that now.

He leaned down to her, whispering so that only she could hear. "I let you come first last night, didn't I?"

It was the first time either of them mentioned the night they spent between the sheets. Brennan felt her cheeks heat up. Thankfully Aldo interrupted again to bring her food. Booth straightened up, drinking his beer. Brennan cleared her throat and thanked Aldo.

"What you got there?" Booth asked, eyeing her plate. He started on his wings, careful not to get sauce everywhere.

"Mushroom ravioli," Brennan answered as she dug in.

"Sounds…exciting," he said between bites of his wings. "You want a bite?"

Brennan shook her head. "I'm a vegetarian."

"Well that is just too bad," Booth shook his head. Just when he thought he was figuring her out, she surprised him again.

"Not really, meat contains —" she was just about to launch into her usual explanation of why she was a vegetarian, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Whatever you're going to say, it's not going to stop me from eating meat." As if to prove his point, he took a large bite out of a wing, sauce smearing over his mouth. Brennan just laughed and shook her head, handing him a napkin.

"Fine, I'll spare you the lecture," she finished her meal in silence, amusing herself by watching Booth eat. He had so much passion for everything he did, and just something as small as a few buffalo wings made him happy. He was a fascinating man, so carefree, yet so rigid at the same time.

"Can I get you two another beer?" Aldo asked when he came by to clear their plates. Booth looked at Brennan for confirmation.

"Actually I'll take a glass of red wine Aldo," she said.

"A whiskey, on the rocks," Booth ordered. "And the bill."

Aldo nodded before busying himself with their drinks. Booth turned back to Brennan.

"So why are you eating alone?" He was fishing for information, but for purely selfish reasons. He wanted to know if she had someone in her life.

 _No you idiot, she slept with you last night,_ the voice in his head told him. She could still have someone, he argued back.

Brennan shrugged, picking up her glass of wine after Aldo set it down. "I was hungry, I wasn't in the mood to cook. Founding Fathers is one of my favourite places. I usually grab dinner here before going to the club."

"Is that where you're going?" His eyes scanned her body. She was dressed casually, too casual for the club. She might not be working behind the bar tonight, but she could still have other work to do.

"No, I'm going home after this."

Booth took a sip of his whiskey, shivering slightly as the golden liquid raced down his throat.

"Have you got plans after this?" She inquired, equally interested in his comings and goings.

"I have two children back at the hotel who are likely to murder each other if I don't go back soon," he said with a smirk on his lips. He saw the crease in Brennan's forehead and elaborated. "My associates."

"They sound like a handful."

"They are, trust me."

Brennan shook her head, hoping that her 'children' at the club were behaving themselves. She trusted them to run the place on their own, but they could get a little wild sometimes.

"Do you have any real children?" She asked as she took another sip of the wine. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy, and it was doing a good job of making her even more sleepy. She would have no problems falling asleep once she got home.

"I have a son," he said but didn't elaborate further. He didn't want to mix his family with his business.

"His mother?" Brennan asked cautiously, not sure if she should be asking the question. Booth caught the hesitation in her voice.

"Alive and well. We never married."

"That must have been rough." Brennan could only imagine what he went through.

"It was, but it's in the past," Booth said, indicating that he didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. Aldo put his bill and her bill between them. Booth reached for both, already taking out his wallet.

Brennan protested. "You don't have to Booth, I can pay for myself."

"Don't start Bones, I can pay. I want to, so let me," Booth has dealt with a lot of strong women in his lifetime. All of them always objected to him paying, but he never did it out of chivalry. He wanted to pay for them, so he did.

Brennan opened her mouth to fight back but closed it again. "I'll just pay next time."

Booth rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile. Typical. He tossed a few bills on the counter, making sure to tip Aldo well before getting up. "Did you drive here?"

Brennan nodded as she shrugged into her jacket.

"I'll walk you to your car."

"Always the gentleman," Brennan teased, but she didn't object. She followed him out the door and onto the street, waving at Aldo as she went.

"The bartender seems to like you," Booth said. Brennan thought she heard a bit of jealousy in his voice, but then decided she must have imagined it. She was so tired, her mind was starting to play tricks on her.

"He's harmless," she stifled a yawn, walking up to her car. "Thank you for dinner, and for walking me to my car." She reached for the handle at the same time as Booth. Their hands touched and it was like a switch went off. Brennan looked up to find two burning brown eyes looking at her. Her hand had caught fire where he touched and her breathing stopped. "Booth…" she could barely get the words out before his lips were on hers. He kissed her with such force she thought her legs would give in. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an attempt to support herself. She melted into him, kissing him back with equal fire. His tongue traced her bottom lip and she shivered, pulling him closer. This was wrong, so very wrong, but right now her body was winning, not her mind.

"Bones," Booth breathed, pulling away from her so fast it made her head spin. "I…" he fumbled for his words as he looked down at her. "I am so sorry," he let go of her, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. "That won't ever happen again," he said, his tone so serious it made Brennan's heart stop. He gave her one last look before turning around, shoving his hands into his pockets and walking away.

* * *

 **Sup guys, sorry for the wait. Too many things in my head. So, the last chapter's reviews were disappointing. Hope this one does better. Let me know what you think please!**


	9. The Man in the Army Jacket

**The Man in the Army Jacket**

 _You've got a hold of me, don't even know your power_

 _I stand a hundred feet, but I fall when I'm around you_

 _Show me an open door, but you go and slam it on me_

 _I can't take it anymore, please have mercy…_

Booth silently cursed himself as he pushed his hands into his pockets. It took all he had to pull away from Bones, to not keep kissing her in the street and to walk away. When his eyes met hers in the bar he thought his heart would jump out of his chest. He had gone to the bar to drown the guilt he was feeling for how he treated her at their meeting. It was the first time he ever felt guilty of trying to take away someone else's business. He wasn't sure how to deal with those feelings, or even why he had those feelings. It was unnatural. Seeley Booth did not feel guilty about what he did, and he certainly did not fall all over himself for a woman.

But then she had the audacity to walk into one of the hundreds of restaurants in DC, and the only open chair was next to him. He was sure someone in heaven had it out for him. Probably his father, the bastard. He was about to move, assuming that such a beautiful woman would not be dining alone, but she took him by surprise yet again. He found himself relaxing during their conversation. He enjoyed her company, and when her shoulder nudged his teasingly it sent a bolt of electricity through him. He wanted to reach out and touch her. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself. He was about to take everything away from her, what kind of sick game was he playing?

"Women," he scoffed underneath his breath as he started to walk the few short blocks back to his hotel. He returned there after his meeting with her. Sweets and Aubrey were in the exact same place he had left them.

"How did it go?" Aubrey asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Great," Booth said, loosening his tie. "You can send the first offer to Angela."

Aubrey nodded, pausing their game and heading towards his room to fetch his laptop. Sweets spread out on the couch, looking at Booth. He was tense, a tiny vein popping in his forehead.

"So it went well?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?" Booth asked, shrugging out of his jacket. He was in no mood to be cross-examined by the wonder twins. "I'm going to get something to drink."

Sweets knew better than to say anything else. Booth got dressed in a pair of jeans, a red shirt and his leather jacket before heading out of the penthouse again. He wandered around for a while until he found Founding Fathers, deciding on a whim to go in.

A stiff breeze blew past him and Booth pulled his jacket closer. He really hated this time of the year when the afternoons were hot as hell but the evenings were cool. His thoughts turned back to Bones, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled at him. He didn't deserve her smiles, he should be on the receiving end of her scorn. He learned a lot about her tonight, she was a vegetarian, and she had a very logical outlook on life. He would have to appeal to her logical side, convince her that selling to him was the rational thing to do.

He shook his head to clear it. There he was doing it again. He never switched off from work, he just had a really great meal with an equally great woman and he was already plotting ways to get her to give into him.

 _What the hell is wrong with you?_

He really didn't know. His track record with women was not one of the best. He was a jock in school, one of the popular crowd. He always had girls running after him and he enjoyed their attention. It was part of the reason why he was so cocky today. And then high school ended, along with his football career. He didn't know what to do with himself, so following the Booth family tradition, he enlisted. Then he met Rebecca, the woman who completely knocked him over and the mother of his child. But she didn't love him enough to marry him. For a while, Booth blamed himself for that. He was not the best person to deal with after he returned from the army, and he had an uphill battle with PTSD. It passed, but once again he didn't have a purpose, something that woke him up in the morning. That's when he reconnected with an old friend from school, Lance Sweets. Sweets pushed him to go to university, to use his rather sharp mind for something other than sniping and killing. Sweets was the reason Booth got through his MBA.

Fast forward a few years and there was Hannah with her blonde locks and her nose for danger. Booth was sure she was the one he would spend the rest of his days with, but apparently, he was wrong about that. Hannah, like Rebecca, didn't love him enough. He stopped blaming himself a long time ago. He wasn't perfect, but he couldn't make another person love him. He liked being in control, but meeting Bones was something he couldn't have anticipated. She was a wild card, a blessing and a curse. If only he hadn't slept with her, then things would be different, but he did and now they had a fucking mess on their hands.

He couldn't be both. He couldn't be her lover and her business rival. Those two worlds did not go together. Kissing her in the street was a mistake. He knew that it would be, but when her hand touched his and those steel grey eyes found him he lost all of his willpower. Everything about her pulled him in, her mind, her body, her smile. In another life, he would have done all of this properly. He would have dated her, made love to her, married her and grew old with her, but it did him no good to dwell on a future he could never have.

He had to make a choice. He had to either be Booth, the businessman, or he had to be Booth the person. He wanted her club, but on the other hand, he also wanted her.

 _Don't be a fool. She'll leave you like the rest. You don't even know her._

He wasn't a fool. A company didn't wake up in the morning and decide that they didn't love you anymore. People were temporary, and Booth only wanted to chase permanent things.

He rounded a corner, his hotel in sight when something caught the corner of his eye. A man was sitting at the entrance of an alleyway, his eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He was shivering, arms folded over his chest. He normally didn't pay much attention to the homeless. He had fought long and hard battles with Cantilever to donate to homeless shelters and veteran programmes, and when they refused he used his own money to fund several shelters across Philly. The man caught his attention because he was wearing an army jacket. It was faded and dirty, but Booth would recognise it anywhere. He approached the man, standing next to him. Up close Booth could see the wrinkles on his face. He must have been in his late sixties.

"Excuse me, sir," Booth said softly, not wanting to startle the man. The man jumped and looked up at Booth, immediately getting to his feet. "I didn't mean to startle you," Booth apologised, taking a step back and holding his hands up so that the man could see he wasn't in danger.

"Not startled," he grumbled under his breath. He fumbled around the alley and produced a white cane. "Just blind."

"I saw your jacket, did you serve?" Booth asked, still keeping his distance. He didn't want to be whacked with a cane tonight.

The man nodded, his orange beard bobbing up and down with him. "That I did son, ten years. You?"

Booth hated seeing veterans on the streets, and his heart went out to the man. "Two tours in Afghanistan sir."

"What's your rank soldier?" The old man had a gruff voice that sounded like it could do a really good cover of Sharp Dressed Man.

"Major Seeley Booth, sir."

The man held out his hand for Booth to shake. "Colonel Bill Gibbons," he said. "I'd salute you, but I can't see you." He chuckled to himself and Booth saluted him anyway before shaking his hand.

"It's an honour to meet you, Colonel."

"And you, Major. You're not from these parts, are you? Can hear it in your voice."

Booth didn't have an accent, but he wasn't about to argue with the man. "Born and raised in Philadelphia. Just here for some business."

"Philly," the Colonel mused to himself, moving his cane around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled a box out from behind the dumpster and sat down on it. "I hear they make great cheese."

Booth couldn't help but laugh, looking around the alley and spotting another box. He pulled it closer, passing what looked like the beaten tin trashcan. Inside was a few burnt papers and ashes. The old man must have been using it to light a fire. Booth pulled it closer as well. "Mind if I light us a fire sir?"

"Go ahead son," he said, pulling a ukulele out from behind the dumpster as well. He played a few chords as Booth got a fire going, pushing the tin closer to the Colonel, who was still shivering. "So, what's on your mind kid?"

"How do you know something's on my mind?" Booth asked, raising a brow before realising the old man couldn't see his confused look.

"I've been around the block a few times." He played a few more chords, humming along to a song that was only in his head. "Lady troubles?"

"It would seem like it," Booth admitted. It was always easier to talk to a stranger than it was to talk to a friend.

"You want my advice?"

"Why not?" It wasn't like Booth had anything to lose.

"Don't let life get in the way of love."

Booth looked down at his hands. This wasn't love, he knew what love felt like, and this wasn't it. It was an undeniable physical attraction, it was an emotional pull, it was infatuation, not love.

"I don't love her." The words tasted sour in his mouth, though he didn't know why. He was here to do a job. He did the right thing by walking away tonight.

"Then don't waste your time pining after her," the Colonel played a few more chords, softly singing the words to Gimme All Your Lovin'.

He wouldn't. He had made his decision, he was going after her business and that was it. No more fraternising with the enemy. From now on he would always make sure there was someone else in the room with them. He couldn't let himself get caught up in her again. If he was going to reach his goal, he needed to be her enemy, not her friend.

"Life's too short, Booth. Chase what you want."

He wanted The Lab, and he always got what he wanted.

"Thank you, sir." Booth got up, clapping the Colonel's shoulder. He slipped a few hundred bucks into the Colonel's pocket, wishing there was more he could do for the man. He decided that the moment The Lab was on its feet again he would start donating to veteran programmes in DC. He straightened up, walking out of the alley and back towards his hotel.

"Anytime kid." The Colonel gave a throaty laugh that caused Booth to look back. The alley was completely empty, no sign of Bill anywhere.

 _Great, I just imagined a whole conversation._

He was sure he did not, he touched Bill after all. The Colonel was just a wise, crazy old man, and Booth intended to follow his advice.

* * *

 **Shorter chapter this time, I got some work creeping up on me. Also, check out my updated profile and the playlist for this story (in my profile). Let me know what you guys think.**

 **This chapter was just a little insight on how Booth feels, cause I know some of you have been wondering. Thanks for the reviews!**

 **Also, special thanks to Lauwy, Monique, wakeupdolores and mpsoldera for always reviewing. You guys are amazing!**

 **Stay tuned for some more fun as we dive deeper into the minds and pasts of our characters. Hope you guys love reading this as much as I love writing it.**

 **O, and…more smut is definitely on the way. ;)**


	10. Home is where the Heart is

**Home is where the Heart it**

 _Hey, you're back again_

 _I tried my best to pretend_

 _That I was not waiting for your call_

 _It was a pleasant surprise and that was all_

 _So I got dressed up in my Sunday best_

 _But I wasn't prepared for the punch to my chest_

 _When you walked in and I first saw your face_

 _A familiar vision with a newfound grace_

Every morning at 4 am the crew of The Lab found themselves in the Royal Diner, ordering breakfast and exchanging stories of the previous night. This became a tradition during their first year of business. The Royal Diner was open 24 hours a day, and by the time The Lab closed everyone inside was pretty hungry. They worked nights and slept during the day, so it was nice to do something normal for once, like getting breakfast with your friends, even if it was at 4 am. This morning was no different. After Hodgins locked the doors the crew made their way down the street toward the diner. They were tired and desperately wanted to go to bed, but hunger kept them awake. Brennan and Angela joined them on the rare occasion after they spent the night in the club, but this morning it was just the squints. Jessica yawned loudly as she pushed open the door to the diner. Last night had been particularly rough. She was used to dudes, and occasionally chicks, hitting on her in the club, but last night took the cake. She also had to break up three fights that happened in the line outside the club, and on top of that, she was worried about Brennan and this whole business with Booth. Jessica had only started working at the club a year ago, but she was immediately accepted as part of the family. This was the best job she's ever had, and she really hoped that she wouldn't lose it.

The crew shuffled into the diner and sat down at their usual table in the corner. Hodgins ordered a burger, Jessica and Wendall both ordered a sunrise breakfast and Finn and Fisher ordered soup. Vincent Nigel-Murray was not joining them for breakfast, as he claimed he had a date with 'a lovely girl, a crumpet and a spot of tea'."

"I lost count of how many bone towers we made last night," Fisher started their daily discussion. "It was definitely busy."

Finn nodded in agreement, holding his cup out for the waitress to fill with coffee. He started his shift at Anna's Kitchen in two hours, so he needed some caffeine.

"I only had two drinks thrown in my face last night," Hodgins grinned. "And one of them came from Angela because I made an inappropriate comment on someone else's body." Hodgins would often be extra nice to beautiful women at the bar. Sometimes it earned him bigger tips, other times it earned him a drink in the face, or worse, a fist in the face from their boyfriend. Hodgins would sometimes say the wrong thing when Angela was around, and it made him happy when she reacted like she did tonight. To him, it was a signal that she felt something for him, and that was a good thing.

"I noticed you smelled particularly fruity," Wendall grinned, nudging Hodgins' shoulder.

"Yeah, Angela threw her strawberry martini at me."

"When are you going to ask that woman out Thurston?" Finn asked, rubbing one of his eyes. "It's been years man."

The squints were well aware of Hodgins' crush on Angela. Hell everyone knew about it, even Brennan, who sometimes had a hard time reading people.

"Now is not the time for that man," Hodgins shook his head, drinking his coffee. "Not with this whole Booth business."

The whole table shifted uneasily. They knew the future was uncertain, and that they could be out of a job soon. It was a scary thought, but like Angela told them, they had to have faith in Brennan. This was a battle she was going to win. They all knew how much The Lab meant to her, and she would not go down without a fight.

"You can't let that stand in your way," Jessica said. "You never know what's going to happen next."

Hodgins shrugged. "Now's not the time," he repeated, more firmly this time to get them to back off. Jessica held up her hands, indicating that she was giving up.

"I had to throw six people out of the club," Wendall said, getting them back on track. Their food arrived and Wendall managed to grab the hot sauce first. "It was awesome."

Jessica rolled her eyes at him, knowing how much he enjoyed kicking people out. He got that scary look on his face, and Jessica had a sneaky suspicion that he always wanted to be a superhero who kicks people's asses.

"I managed to please Fisher tonight," Finn added as he slurped his soup. The table went quiet, smirks and raised eyebrows all around. It took Finn a minute to figure out what he said had a double meaning. He dropped his spoon loudly in his soup. "Not like that you filthy animals!" He exclaimed, blush creeping up his neck. "I meant I finally got the bone tower right!"

Everyone burst out laughing and applauding, including Fisher, who just slapped Finn on the back.

"Good job Finn, let's just hope you can please Fisher every night," Jessica said slyly and everyone burst out laughing again.

"You people are impossible," Finn grumbled into his soup. This is what he liked about their crew. They were all friends, not just co-workers. The Lab was the place where he belonged and where he finally fit in. He was not about to let Booth take that away from him.

"No, seriously man, congrats," Hodgins said through a mouthful of burger. They all knew how hard Fisher was on Finn, but it just made Finn a better chef.

"Yes, now if only he would stop letting his hair fall out of the hairnet, that would be great." Fisher rolled his eyes, finishing his soup. His apprentice insisted on having long hair, which made wearing a hairnet quite the challenge.

"No one has ever complained about hairs in the food, so I think Finn is good," Jessica said.

"That's because everyone is always drunk," Fisher grumbled. Finn just ignored his mentor, slurping his soup.

"So what are your plans for today guys?" Jessica asked when she finished her eggs.

"Sleep, then maybe work on something new for the bar," Hodgins mumbled as he tried to brush bread crumbs out of his beard.

"I gotta get going, I got work in an hour and I want to head home and shower," Finn left a couple of bucks on the table before taking off.

"I got a hockey game later, so better get some sleep too," Wendall added, throwing a few bills on the table as well. Eventually, they all parted ways, but tonight they would see each other again, and tomorrow morning the ritual would continue. They would have new stories to tell, new things to laugh about, and they could keep pretending like everything was going to be okay.

* * *

Brennan woke up the next morning drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Her dreams were being haunted by a certain brown eyed man. She reached over and grabbed one of the spare pillows on her bed, pulling it over her face before screaming into it. He had left her, twice in one night, panting and wanting more. She stormed home after he left her on the street, considering getting herself off, but she refused to give him that kind of satisfaction. She was most certainly not going to pleasure herself with him in mind. He did not deserve that honour. After she finished screaming into the pillow she got up. The clock on her bedside table said it was 8 am. She had an hour before she had to meet Cam and Angela in her office. She quickly made the bed before heading into the bathroom to brush her teeth and comb her hair. She was sure she was going to reject Booth's offer today, but she promised Cam that they would at least look it over. Booth was using her, playing games with her just to get what he wants, and she was not going to give in. He would have to throw everything he had at her, and then still she would refuse to break.

Last night she thought that they could actually attempt to have a civil conversation, and for a while, she enjoyed dining with him. Then he had to go and kiss her. Brennan looked at herself in the mirror, her fingers tracing her bottom lip as she remembered his kiss. It came out of nowhere, but fuck if it didn't _feel_ good. His lips were rough against hers, yet he was gentle. His kiss said the words he never could, his emotions dripped into it and spilt over into her. _He wanted her_. It was a ridiculous notion, one that she did not believe, but she could not deny what she felt.

 _Oh yes, I can,_ she thought to herself. She didn't think with her heart and her feelings, she thought with her brain. She splashed some cold water on her face before continuing with her routine. She tied her hair up into a high ponytail, put on some make-up before getting dressed and heading for The Lab.

Angela and Cam were already waiting in her office by the time Brennan arrived. Angela handed her a cup of coffee when she walked through the door and the three women took a seat on the two black couches in her office. Angela had printed out Booth's offer for each of them and had already highlighted some key points for their convenience.

"Let's get started then," Brennan said grimly as she picked up her stack of papers. She flipped to the first page, Angela and Cam following suit. Brennan's jaw fell open when she read the sum he was offering. "He's offering us three times what the club is worth!"

"It would seem so," Cam said as she scanned the pages.

"That's outrageous, and not a good way to do business," Angela said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"He knows we won't take the offer, that's why," Brennan said darkly as she continued to read.

"His offer is very good," Cam said. "He's offering you a 48% share in the club, with managing rights. Unfortunately, he'll be the main shareholder, which means that he can still veto any decision you make, and you have to adhere to every decision he makes."

"That's ridiculous," Angela frowned, highlighting a few more sections of the document. "These terms are almost too good to be true."

"I'll still be recognised as the founder of The Lab and I'll be able to keep all of you here," Brennan sighed. Angela was right, the offer was too good to refuse, and if she were anyone else she wouldn't have refused it. He was offering three times what the club was worth for a 52% share. He was also offering her a management position, where she could protect her squints. She did not expect his first offer to be like this. If she were rational she would take it.

"I hate to say this, but this is the best offer you're ever going to get. If you don't take it, it'll only get worse from here on out," Cam said as she looked at Brennan, trying to get a read on her.

"What would you do Cam?" Brennan asked as she threw the document down on the table, folding her arms in front of her.

"Personally…I would take it."

Angela gasped. "How can you say that Cam? You know what this place means to Brennan?"

"I know," Cam sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds as she works on a response. "Which is why I'm saying we should take the offer. Booth is only going to get more ruthless, and this way we get to protect the employees and Brennan still has a stake in her company."

Angela couldn't argue with Cam's logic, but then again, Angela was the one who thought with her heart.

"No! We cannot seriously be considering this? We can beat Booth, we can make it impossible for him to get The Lab. We have to protect it!" Angela said furiously, her hands balling into fists.

"Angela, Booth will never stop coming for The Lab," Cam said calmly. She had the most experience with Booth, she knew he never gave up. Cam did not want to see her friends get hurt by Booth, but that's what's going to happen if Brennan rejects his offer. Booth didn't do well with rejection, especially not after Rebecca. Cam had no direct knowledge of his latest comings and goings. The two of them lost touch after Cam moved to DC to open her own firm, but from what she's seen in the media, Booth was engaged to a journalist. She doubted that the engagement lasted, considering Booth's war path. He always got a little too ambitious with his takeovers after a rough breakup.

"We need to consider this offer Angela," Brennan said after a few seconds of silence. "I have to think about you, about Hodgins and Wendall and Jessica and all the other squints. You are my family and I have to protect you."

Angela's face softened and she leaned over, putting a hand on Brennan's shoulder. "Bren, honey, this place is your dream. You don't have to protect us, we can do that on our own. You have to protect your dream because that's what all of us are trying to protect."

Brennan sighed, knowing that Angela and Cam were both right. She turned to Cam. "I need to mull it over and discuss the offer with Booth. Angela, will you set up a meeting for later this afternoon?" Angela nodded, giving Brennan's arm a squeeze before letting go. "Cam, will you join the meeting?"

Cam nodded. "Yes, I will highlight some more things in the offer. Send me the details." Cam gathered her things and left, leaving Brennan and Angela alone in the office.

"You have a meeting with Clarke at 2, shall I schedule Booth's meeting for 4?"

"Yes," Brennan said, although she wasn't really paying attention anymore. Her mind was running through all the possible outcomes of her battle with Booth. This offer might be the best outcome she was going to get, and that frightened her.

* * *

Angela was fuming by the time she left Brennan's office at 10 am and also starving, but mostly fuming. She made her way to the diner, wondering why on earth her best friend was considering selling her life's dream to that snake. Angela wasn't a violent person, but if she got her hands on Booth she would strangle him. Who cares if she went to jail? At least that meant that Brennan was safe and happy. Angela had never hated another person more than she hated Booth. Who the hell gave him the right to just take what he wanted? That's not how the world worked, and that's certainly not how decent people worked. Of all the clubs in this country, why did he have to come after The Lab? Why did he feel the need to ruin other people's lives like that?

 _Hurt people hurt others,_ her inner voice whispered, but Angela shrugged it off. That still did not give him the right to hurt others. No matter what had gone wrong in his life, it did not justify his need to make other's miserable.

Angela pushed open the diner's door, stopping in her tracks after she scanned the room. _Speak of the devil and you'll step on his tail._ Sitting there, eating breakfast like he wasn't the devil, was Booth. He was clean shaven and dressed in a suit that probably cost more than Angela's monthly salary. Seeing him there, eating the food that they ate every day, made her more furious than ever. Of all the places in DC, why the fuck did he have to choose this one?

Angela huffed, squaring her shoulders before stalking over to Booth and sitting down at his table. She hoped that he could clearly see she was trying to murder him with her eyes. Booth looked up at her and ate another bite of bacon.

"Morning Angela," he greeted her as if the two of them were old friends.

"Morning yourself," she huffed, asking for a cup of coffee when the waitress passed. "How dare you?"

Booth raised an eyebrow, amused with the woman that sat in front of him. "How dare I what? Greet you? I don't know, forgive my manners. Is that not how you do it in DC?"

Angela could feel the heat creeping up her neck. She gripped the sides of her chair to keep herself from flying over the table and punching his perfect teeth out.

"Don't patronise me, Booth," she snapped at him, thanking the waitress when her coffee came. She lost her appetite at the sight of him. "How dare you make Brennan that ridiculous offer?"

This was certainly not a conversation Booth had anticipated having over breakfast. He seemed to have developed the uncanny ability to eat at all the places the crew of the lab frequented. If he was going to be told off by everyone who worked at The Lab then he was in for a long week.

"It's an offer, Angela. I determined the club's potential, added a few factors like reputation and came up with a number. Are you here to decline?" He asked, his eyebrows still raised.

"I don't speak for Brennan," Angela said as she took a sip of her coffee. It was her fourth cup for the day and she was starting to get a little antsy. "You made her an offer she couldn't refuse, how is that fair?"

Booth almost chuckled but seeing the expression on Angela's face stopped him. "Angela, that's how business works. I was very kind with that offer. I offered her way more than what she should have gotten. I'd say it was fair." He bit into a piece of toast, chewing loudly.

"It's not fair because you don't know what you're doing to Brennan."

"Why don't you tell me then?" Booth asked, not expecting Angela to tell him anything about Bones.

"Her parents disappeared when she was 15."

Booth stopped eating and started at Angela. Was she actually going to give him some insight into Brennan's life? It was not something she usually did, but she was desperate. She needed Booth to understand that The Lab wasn't just a club to Brennan, it was her whole life.

"They disappeared right before Christmas, they went out for groceries and just never came back."

Somewhere inside of him, Booth's heart ached. At least he knew what happened to his mother and father, but he didn't have to imagine the pain she must have felt after being abandoned by her parents. "Her father owned a small coffee shop, but he always wanted to own a high-end club. The Lab was his idea, and when Brennan turned 18 the plans for The Lab were released and given to her. She spent _years_ working to get the money to open that place."

 _It doesn't matter,_ Booth told himself, even though his heart was telling him to back off right now.

"The Lab is not just a club, Booth. It's Brennan's only connection to her parents."

His hand tightened around the coffee cup he was holding. He should get out of DC and just leave Brennan be, but his head told him not to. He hated this conflict between head and heart, but he had already made his decision last night. He was going after the club and nothing, not even a tragic past, would stop him.

"Everyone has tragic back stories Angela, that doesn't make Bones anymore special than you or me," Booth simply said, taking a sip of her coffee.

Angela sat back, looking at him for a while. He was unbelievable. "Are you that cold that you'd take her life away from her?"

"Yes, Angela. It's nothing personal, it's just business."

* * *

 **This was supposed to be up sooner, but I have a cold. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.** **BTW, this is the 10th chapter! Whoo! I would love to get a hundred reviews on this story, so if everyone reading this could leave a review that would be great. I'll upload the next chapter when we reach 100, and there will be smut in chapter 11 (spoiler). Review!**


	11. Trials and Tribulation

**Trials and Tribulations.**

 **WARNING: Lemons!**

 _Darling, can't you see_

 _I'm a broken man_

 _With addictive tendencies_

 _And I think I love you_

 _But I don't ever think I can_

 _Ever learn how to love just right_

 _So run away from me_

 _Run as far as your_

 _Dark brown eyes can see_

 _Just as soon as you know_

"Clarke, thank you for coming," Brennan greeted the man with a handshake. Clarke gave her a nod before both of them sat down. The afternoon had gotten incredibly hot, so Brennan put the air conditioner on in her office. Clarke was a short man with a bald head and his white suit stood out vividly against his dark skin and Brennan's black couch.

"Thank you for reaching out," Clarke said as he crossed his legs. Brennan had offered him a glass of scotch, which he declined. He never mixed business with alcohol, he preferred to have a clear head. "I understand you're in a bit of trouble?"

Brennan nodded and explained the whole Booth thing to Clarke. Brennan didn't enjoy dealing with criminals, but she needed the Vipers to be on her side. They were a necessary evil, and she'd rather have the devil in her corner than in Booth's.

"You understand why I do not want to pay you, but I'm hoping we can arrange something for protection against Booth?" Brennan hated the words that were coming out of her mouth. She was considering Booth's offer, but she had a few proposals for him. Should he not give her what she wanted she was going to decline his offer, and then she would need the help of the Vipers.

Clarke mulled it over. His brother was the leader of the Vipers, and even though Clarke was affiliated with the gang, he preferred to stay out of their business. Clarke liked The Lab, he could be seen there every other night with a new girl on his arm. He never brought any gang business to The Lab, it was his place of escape. He went there when things got a little rough at home, and in The Lab he could just be himself. He was glad Brennan reached out to him and not his brother, he liked to think he was the more reasonable one of the two.

"You're coming to us before Booth gets the chance, am I right?" He asked.

"Yes, you're right," Brennan nodded.

"I like The Lab," Clarke admitted. "I enjoy coming here and getting away from the gang. You have my protection, no need for payment. My brother on the other hand…It might take some persuading."

Brennan had always liked Clarke more than his brother. She believed that he was one of the more decent criminals in DC, but he was still a criminal. "Whatever your brother wants, within reason, I can give it to him. I want to protect my club." Brennan had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she was losing this fight against Booth. He had been playing this game for years, taking over clubs and then selling them when their time was up. Brennan didn't want to lose, but it seemed like whatever she did she was losing. Should she take his offer she would lose her club, should she not take it she would lose her integrity by dealing with criminals. She was caught in a no-win situation and she hated it.

"You and I want the same thing, Brennan," Clarke said, leaning forward and clasping his hands in front of him. "My brother, however, has other plans. I'll see what I can do, but you might not like the outcome."

Brennan nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. She was fully aware of Grayson Barasa's plans for her club. He wanted to turn it into one of the gang's main hangouts, and Brennan sure as hell did not want that for her club. In the early years of the club, he tormented her, even threatened to kill her, but she stood her ground. Eventually, he backed off, but she knew he would jump at the chance to get another shot at her club. That's what worried her. If Booth was able to convince Grayson to start tormenting Brennan again then nothing that Clarke did would help. His brother listened to him, but Grayson still had a mind of his own.

"Please Clarke, try and convince Grayson to provide protection. Tell him I'll start paying monthly, but I don't want him in my club."

Clarke nodded and tugged the sleeves of his jacket back into place. "I'll talk to Grayson. Just be prepared for some steep demands."

Brennan sighed, running a hand through her ponytail. Everyone these days had steep demands. She wrapped up her meeting with Clarke before showing him out. She went back to her office, feeling a headache coming on. Her meeting with Clarke lasted longer than expected, and Booth and Cam should be arriving any minute now. Brennan went to her desk and grabbed the bottle of painkillers from her drawer. She always kept them there in case of emergencies, or when she was having a rough morning. She walked over to the drinks cart that stood next to the door, throwing herself some scotch and downing two pills. She didn't normally resort to alcohol, but she felt like she needed it before this meeting with Booth. She finished the scotch and put the glass down, walking out of her office to get some fresh air. Angela was in her office and Brennan could hear her talking on the phone to someone.

"Tonight, 7 pm at Founding Fathers?" It sounded like Angela was arranging a date. Was she talking to Hodgins? No, he usually came in at 7 to restock the bar, it couldn't have been him. She wondered when he was going to work up the nerve to ask Angela out. Angela wouldn't wait forever. Brennan walked past Angela's office, spotting Hodgins behind the private bar. She walked over, giving him a friendly smile.

"Afternoon Hodgins."

"Hey Brennan, you're just in time," he said as he poured a bright pink concoction into a glass. "Would you like to taste my new drink? I'm thinking of calling it Strawberry Sex."

Brennan laughed and sat down on one of the stools, picking up the glass and taking a sip.

"It tastes a lot like strawberry, that's for sure," she said, putting the glass down. "Maybe it's a little too sweet? Try putting salt on the rim."

Hodgins nodded, grabbing a clean glass before salting the rim. He poured the drink before handing Brennan the new glass. She took a sip, nodding. "Yes, that's better. Good job Hodgins."

He grinned widely, glad that she liked it. He sometimes came up with the craziest ideas, and not all of them worked. "Can I test it out tonight and see how it sits with the customers?"

"Sure," Brennan nodded. "You can put it on the specials board. If it works, we can add it to the menu and knock something else off."

"Brennan?" Angela called out and Brennan turned around to see her leaning out of her office. "Booth and Cam are here, they're waiting in your office."

"Thanks, Angela," Brennan nodded, slipping off the stool and giving Hodgins a wave. "I'll see you tonight Hodgins."

"Good luck with Booth," Hodgins called after her as he continued his experiments.

* * *

Brennan hadn't given much thought to what she was wearing when she dressed herself that morning. She was wearing a blue dress that made her eyes change colour and black high heels. She was planning on working the bar tonight again, just to tire herself out so that she wouldn't have any more dirty dreams about Booth. She would later be very thankful for choosing a dress that morning. She walked back into her office, greeting Booth and Cam and closing the door behind her. Her heart jumped when she saw Booth, but she ignored it. He was wearing a bespoke black suit with a red tie and he was as handsome as the devil. Fuck, she loved a man in a suit.

"I didn't know that you worked for Bones," Booth said, addressing Cam. He was pleasantly surprised to see her again, and even more surprised when he found out she was working for Bones. He and Cam went way back, but they lost touch the last couple of years. It was good to see her again, even if it was under less desirable circumstances.

"Yes, she was one of my first customers when I moved to DC," Cam said as Brennan sat down next to her. "Shall we get down to business?" Cam didn't think now was the appropriate time to catch up with Booth. They would have drinks later, as friends, but then she would only speak to him as Brennan's lawyer to avoid having a conflict of interest.

"Yes," Booth undid his jacket before he sat down opposite Cam and Bones. "You went through my offer?" He was hoping this meeting was going to go in his favour. He knew he made Bones a ridiculously good offer, and she would be a fool not to take it. Surely Cam advised her to take it since she knew how Booth worked.

"Yes we did," Brennan said, crossing her ankles. "It's a good offer."

"We have some minor changes we would like to suggest," Cam said as she opened a folder filled with papers. Booth leaned forward, wondering what they were going to suggest. In hindsight, he should have flown Caroline out here as well, but he would not accept anything without consulting her first. His week in DC was almost up, and he was heading back to Philly in two days. He still had a lot to do before then, including a couple of meetings with Grayson Barasa. The rest he would do from Philly, that is if they didn't accept his first offer.

"I'm all ears."

"I would like to retain the right to hire and fire my own employees," Brennan said.

"That's not how it works," Booth said. "I evaluate all your employees, and those who don't make the cut need to go."

Brennan shook her head. "Unacceptable. These people have helped me build up this club, I can't just fire them because they don't meet your impossibly high standards." Her voice raised an octave and Cam shot her a warning look, reminding her to keep her cool.

Booth smirked, liking the way he got underneath her skin. "I'm sure they are all good employees, but they can be better. Your club is currently number 30 on the USA's top 50 clubs list. I intend to get you to number 1. For that, you need better employees."

Brennan hated his condescending tone, but she counted to fifty in her head to keep herself calm. "They are the best employees in the country, you won't find any better," she fired back.

"All we're asking is to retain the hiring and firing rights," Cam interjected, keeping them on track. "You will still have a say in who works here, but we want the veto power."

"I assume you have documented all your demands?" Booth asked.

Cam nodded, handing him the document. "For your lawyers to look over. I think you'll find everything in there is satisfactory."

There was silence for a few minutes as Booth flipped through the document. Cam's cell phone broke the silence and she quickly grabbed it, looking at the screen.

"I'm so sorry Brennan, there's an emergency at the office that I have to attend to." Cam grabbed her bag, throwing her phone back inside. "I trust you two can handle the rest of the meeting on your own?"

Brennan stiffened, looking over at Booth. She did not want to be alone with him, but she couldn't beg Cam to stay either.

"We can handle it," Brennan said slowly, not entirely sure of herself. Cam looked between the two of them. Something was clearly bubbling underneath the surface with these two, and Cam had the sneaking suspicion that Brennan wasn't telling her everything. Still, she had no choice but to go back to the office.

"Yes, we'll be fine Camille," Booth nodded, sounding a lot more confident than Brennan.

"I'll see you later then," Cam greeted them before walking out of the office and closing the door behind her. A tense silence filled the room and Brennan shifted uncomfortably. She wondered if she should call Angela or Hodgins to join her. _Don't be stupid, you can handle Booth,_ she told herself. She was a big girl with a lot of willpower. She could be alone in a room with Booth without breaking anything, she was sure of it.

Booth returned to scanning the document and raised an eyebrow. "You want a 50/50 split?"

"Yes," Brennan nodded. "A partnership. I'm sure you know what that means?"

Booth bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from making a cocky comment. "Cantilever wants the majority share of the club. We don't do partnerships."

"And I don't do arrogant assholes," Brennan snapped before she could stop herself. Booth's cocky smirk told her that she said the wrong thing. He set the document aside, leaning back and looking at her.

"We both know that's not true Bones."

She wanted to smack that smirk off his face so badly her hand twitched. She stood up, pacing around her office to keep herself distracted. "Don't bring that up, it was one time."

He laughed, running a hand through his hair. "It was multiple times."

Her cheeks flamed and her hands balled into fists. "It doesn't matter," she said through clenched teeth. He was enjoying this too much. "It won't happen again. Can we please get back to the matter at hand," she gestured toward the document. "50/50."

Booth stood up, not liking the feeling of her being taller than he was. "I'm not going to give you 50/50 Bones. 48/52. That's the offer."

"You're impossible to work with," she groaned, throwing her hands up.

"So I've been told." Was it just her or did his smirk get cockier? He moved around the table and was now standing a few feet away from her. "Take it or leave it Bones."

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? The lives you're ruining?" She asked furiously, closing the distance between them. "You can't just take what you want Booth!"

"I can, and I will. It's that simple Bones," he argued. In the back of his mind, he was aware of just how hot she was when she got angry. He kept his hand in his pockets to stop himself from grabbing her. His resolve was crumbling by the second, especially considering how fiery she was.

"You're an idiot," she hissed.

Booth clenched his jaw, trying to keep his cool. "I'm giving you an easy out here Bones, why don't you just take it?" He hissed back. She was standing so close he could smell her perfume. It made his head spin.

"Because I actually care about my people! This is not just a way to make money for me!" She yelled at him. God that turned him on. Sooner, rather than later, he was going to break.

"Then you're the idiot Bones. This is a business, not a family!" He yelled back, breathing hard.

"Get a soul, Booth!"

"Get a brain, Bones!"

There was a heartbeat of silence between them before something cracked and they flew at each other. Booth wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. His lips crashed against hers, kissing her as if she was the air he needed to breathe. This was so wrong, but so fucking right. All rational thought flew out of his head as her hands wrapped around his tie, pulling him closer. Her lips were hungry against his and he kissed her like he had never kissed anyone before. It was too late, there was no turning back now. He wanted her, she wanted him, and Booth always got what he wanted. Her tongue traced his bottom lip and he grabbed it between his teeth, lightly biting it before letting go. She moaned softly, tugging on his tie again. She felt that bite between her legs and her core clenched tightly. Booth pushed his tongue into her mouth, groaning as he tasted her. She tasted like strawberries and scotch. He didn't even like strawberries, but on her, it tasted like heaven. Her hands moved to his shoulders, pushing his jacket off. Booth's hands moved down, grabbing the bottom of her dress and pulling it up.

"Booth," she gasped, her head swimming. She could barely think straight. "Wait…wait." She lightly pushed him away, her dress falling back into place. Booth stepped back, breathing heavily. Has she changed her mind? Did she not want this anymore? He watched her as she walked over to the door, turning the key and locking it. The side wall of her office was made out of glass, which meant that anyone walking by could see right in. She pressed a few buttons on the panel next to the door and the blinds came down, obscuring the windows and the view. Booth breathed a little easier as she walked back over to her, a sexy smile on her face. "Hodgins and Angela are here…"

"Then we're just going to have to be quiet," he smirked, grabbing her waist and pulling her back to him. His lips found her neck and he kissed her softly, causing her head to fall back and her eyes to close. Her hands moved back to his chest, working on the buttons of his shirt. This was so much better than a dream, and she wound up so tightly she thought she would explode just from his hands on her skin. She finally finished with his shirt, pulling his tie loose before taking it off and pushing his shirt off. He growled lowly, picking her up and walking the few steps toward her desk. He set her down on it, pushing a few things out of the way and not caring when they landed on the floor. She pulled his lips back to hers, kissing him hard. He pushed her dress up again, his fingers moving along her thighs. Her skin was warm and soft and he wanted to touch every inch of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her tongue curling around his. He moved one hand into her hair, pulling out the ponytail and letting her curls fall loose. He knotted his fingers in her hair, pulling her face closer to him and deepening the kiss. She moaned into his mouth, feeling the wetness between her legs. Everything about him turned her on, the way he took control and knew exactly what he wanted. It was infuriating, but fuck she loved it.

His other hand moved in between her thighs, his fingers rubbing her over her panties. He bit down on her bottom lip as he felt how wet she was for him. "Bones," he growled, his mouth moving down her neck again. Brennan leaned back, putting one hand on her desk to keep herself from falling over. The other hand moved into Booth's hair, tugging on it. Her hips jerked into his hand, she was desperate for some friction. Booth's thumb stroked her over her panties, the fabric rubbed against her and she almost called out but she stopped herself. She could not let Angela and Hodgins hear that she was fucking Booth…again.

His lips traced over her collarbone and he pushed the straps of her dress down with his teeth. Everywhere his mouth went made her squirm and want more. Her hips jerked into him again and he pushed her panties to the side, pushing two fingers into her.

"Fuck," she breathed her walls tightening around his fingers. She felt amazing and Booth could feel his erection pressing against his briefs. He desperately wanted to be inside of her, but he enjoyed teasing her a little too much. He curled his fingers inside of her before slowly moving them in and out of her. Her back arched and he wrapped one arm around her, keeping her close to him. She knocked the breath right out of him when she walked into the room in that blue dress. It made her eyes pop and hugged her curves in just the right way. He wanted to tear it off her.

"Booth…" She groaned softly. "I can't…you…" She couldn't seem to find the right words to say. His fingers moved in and out of her faster and her legs tightened around him. Her core was pulsing and he was going to push her over the edge soon enough.

"I what Bones?" He asked as he kissed her lips again.

"Your kisses last night left me very…high strung."

He smirked, biting her bottom lip again and earning another moan. So he turned her on last night and left her wanting more? "And you didn't take care of that yourself?" He asked softly, leaning back to look at her.

Her grey eyes were on fire as she looked back at him, a spark of mischief visible in them. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," she smirked back at him.

She knew just how to push the right buttons with him. He growled at her, biting her bottom lip harder this time. He pulled his fingers out of her, bringing them up to his lips and licking them clean. Brennan's jaw went slack and she knew she was in big trouble with this man. She leaned over her desk, pulling open the drawer and pulling out a condom. He raised a brow at her.

"You keep condoms in your drawer?"

"I run a nightclub Booth," she said by way of explanation. She handed him the condom, a smirk still on her face. He was going to wipe that smirk off pretty soon.

"Turn around Bones." It was not a request. Brennan hopped off the desk, pushing her panties down and kicking them away before turning around. She lifted the dress again before leaning over the desk, giving Booth an eyeful.

 _Fucking tease,_ he thought to himself as he kicked his shoes off before pushing his pants and boxers down. His erection was so hard it was starting to get painful. He was just as hot and bothered as she was last night and just as tightly wound, but he wasn't going to let her know that. She had a hold on him that he couldn't break, and they were playing a dangerous game, but right now all he cared about was her. He rolled the condom onto his member, moving back to Brennan and spreading her legs. She was dripping for him and he couldn't get inside of her fast enough. She grabbed the edge of the table, clenching her jaw as his hard member pushed into her. She had to stop herself from screaming out, fuck it felt good to have him inside of her again. Her walls clenched tightly around her member and she groaned. Booth kept one hand on her hip, the other tangled in her hair again. He leaned over her, his lips at her ear. She shivered as she felt his breath on her skin and she braced herself on her elbows. A feral urge had overcome him to ruin her for everyone else. He wanted her to think of him when she was pleasuring herself, or when she was with someone else. He wanted her to think of nothing but him, and that thought scared him. He paid no attention to it now though, her walls around his member distracted him from everything else.

"Booth," she moaned as he nibbled on her earlobe. He started to move in and out of her, slowly at first, but then he picked up the pace. He pushed into her as deep as he could before pulling out and pushing into her again. Brennan bit her lip to stop herself from yelling out. She was breathing hard and her core clenched every time he thrust back into her. Her legs had turned to jelly, and if the desk wasn't underneath her she would have fallen over. He knocked the air out of her and she pushed her ass back into him, desperate to feel him. He thrust into her again, hitting her spot and causing her to yell out. "Fuck!" She was breathing hard, struggling to stay silent. He untangled his hand from her hair and wrapped his free arm around her waist. His lips were still on her ear and he whispered softly. "You have to be quiet baby."

Normally she hated colloquialisms, but her core clenched when he called her baby. His voice was rough and she could tell he was struggling to breathe as well. He kissed her neck, biting the soft skin there as she moaned. She was very vocal when having sex, so keeping quiet was extremely difficult for her. Still, the fear of Angela or Hodgins ruining the moment made her shut up. Booth's hand moved to cup her breast and her back arched into his touch.

Her legs were shaking and she didn't want to hold on anymore. Every thrust hit her g-spot and her vision had started to blur. The pleasure made her toes curl and she let go, her orgasm hitting her hard. She fell slightly forward, but Booth's arm kept her from hitting the desk. She could barely stand as her body shook. She closed her eyes and rode it out, lost in waves of pleasure.

Booth grinned against her neck as he felt her let go, pushing into her a few more times before he let go with her. He let go of her hip, bracing himself against the table as he came. For a few seconds, they were both lost in each other, breathing hard and heads still spinning. Booth straightened up slightly, kissing her shoulder before slowly pulling out of her. He unrolled the condom, tying a knot in it before tossing it in the bin next to the desk. He slowly straightened her up, turning her around again and sitting her down on the desk. She was fucking gorgeous. Her hair was wild and her lips were slightly swollen. Her cheeks were red and Booth leaned in, kissing each of them as he pulled her dress back into place.

"We're in trouble," Bones said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers.

"I know," Booth sighed as he kissed her again, slowly and softly this time. They were in big trouble.

* * *

 **Booth got some hate in the reviews XD. Yes, he's cold and ruthless, but that's what makes him so dangerous, and so very irresistible to Brennan. Here is the smut I promised. Thank you all for the 100 reviews! You guys are awesome! Please review this chapter as well. The last one got 26 reviews, let's see if we can do 30! Let me know if you're not mad at Booth anymore. I sure as hell am not after that steamy scene. Next chapter might be a little slow, as I am going back to university tomorrow and have a busy week ahead. But since this is the longest chapter so far, I hope it keeps you busy!**

 **Thank you guys once again!**


	12. The Devil is in the Details

**The Devil is in the Details**

 _All my wolves begin to howl_

 _Wake me up the time is now_

 _Can you hear the drumming?_

 _There's a revolution coming_

Brennan was still sitting on top of her desk, her dress now pulled back into place and her hair pulled into a ponytail again. Booth was standing between her legs, fully clothed this time. He was trying to flatten his 'just fucked' hair and Brennan was busy redoing his tie. It felt so normal, they were so comfortable with each other, but underneath the surface, darkness dwelled. Both of them had given over to the fact that there was a strong physical pull between them. It was hard for him to stop touching her, and even now his free hand rested on her knee. She needed to be close to him, needed to feel his strong body next to hers. It made her feel safe even though her mind knew that he was dangerous. They admitted that they were in trouble, and that revelation now hung in the air between them. Something had changed, that's for sure. Booth had promised himself only a day ago that he would stay away from her, that he was here for her business and nothing more, but once again she had muddled his thoughts and broke down his willpower. He ran through all of the possible scenarios of how this could turn out, and he didn't see them coming out whole at the other end. He only saw pain, either he was going to hurt her or she was going to hurt him. There was only one way this would work, and that's if his priorities changed. He couldn't throw all his hard work away, not for sex. Sex wasn't love, but sex with her…

Brennan finished with his tie, sitting back and leaning on her arm. She had been trying to figure out her next step, what to say and what to do now. "This needs to stop," she said slowly.

Booth nodded as he buttoned his jacket. "Yes, it has to. We can't work together if we keep ending up like this."

Brennan breathed a sigh of relief. At least he agreed with her that the sex should stop before either of them started to develop feelings.

"Have dinner with me later," Brennan said, a plan forming in her mind.

Booth raised an eyebrow, unsure of her offer. "How is going on a date with you going to help our situation?"

"Not a date Booth," Brennan corrected him. "Just dinner. If, and I'm not saying that I accept the offer, but if I were to accept, we would need to work together. I would like to be friends with you Booth, it would make working with each other easier."

Booth hadn't considered that option. It would be good if both of them were on the same page, and getting to know each other better might make this takeover easier. He would prefer not to get hostile, he didn't want to hurt Bones, but his mind was made up. He wanted The Lab, and he would do anything to get it. Having sex with her was not something he anticipated, and he wanted to sort out the mess between them before he left for Philly. Hell, maybe he could even close the deal before he left.

"I think that's a great idea Bones," he agreed. He checked his watch, it was just past six. He needed to go back to the hotel and take a shower, plus there were some things he wanted to discuss with Aubrey and Sweets. "I'll pick you up here at 8?"

She shook her head. "I need to take a shower. You can pick me up at my place at 8."

"I'll see you at 8 then." Booth almost leaned in to kiss her, but he caught himself. He was going to have to keep his guard up at all times. The objective here was to be friends with her, not to continue fucking her. Friends didn't kiss each other. Instead, he gave her a brief smile before walking out of her office.

The whole place suddenly felt empty without him, but Brennan shook that feeling off. She looked around her office, sighing softly. When did things get so complicated? He had made her life messy and she couldn't figure out what was happening to her anymore. She had so many conflicting emotions and feelings that it was better to just ignore them. He was the enemy, yet when he was near her she felt an undeniable pull toward him. Her mind was clear when she was in his arms, and then she only wanted one thing; him. Yet the minute he left all the other feelings came rushing back. He was still after her club, and he still threatened her family. She had to protect those closest to her, and if being friends with Booth was what it took then she would do it. Being friends with him might also make him easier to reason with, and she needed all the advantages she could get. She slipped off the desk, grabbing the bottle of scotch from the tray and sitting down in her chair. Tonight had to go in her favour. She needed to set clear objectives for herself and she needed to stop giving into him. She wanted to protect her club and her employees, that's her mission.

"Brennan?" Angela interrupted her thoughts as she knocked on the door.

"Come in Ange," Brennan said as she set the bottle of scotch down. Angela walked into the office, as smirk on her face.

"Booth must be really good in bed if you keep sleeping with him."

Brennan coughed, looking up at her best friend. "Excuse me? I don't know what you're talking about." Brennan could feel her cheeks heating up. Angela just chuckled and bent down to retrieve Brennan's stapler from the floor. She placed it on her desk before sitting down.

"You're a bad liar honey. Did you think I wouldn't notice the locked door and the closed blinds? Plus your hair clearly says that you've just been fucked."

Brennan's hand automatically went to her hair, trying to smooth down the curls. She never could hide anything from Angela, but she always considered that to be a good thing. She was bad at putting her feelings into words, Angela just always knew what she was feeling without asking. They understood each other.

"So is he good?" Angela asked and Brennan hid her face in her hands.

"Yes, he's very good," she admitted.

"What are you going to do Bren? You know he's just going to hurt you." The concern was clear in Angela's voice. She didn't want to see her best friend get hurt. It was bad after Pete left her, and she was never the same afterwards. Angela didn't think Brennan could survive another heartbreak. Her friend had put up so many walls it was almost impossible to get through to her, but somehow Booth did. Angela had seen the cold side of Booth, the side that continued with his hostile takeover even after she told him how much the club meant to Brennan. Angela had considered telling Brennan about her talk with Booth but dismissed the idea. Now she was reconsidering. If Booth was getting so close to Brennan she didn't trust his motives.

"I know that Angela, which is why this stops now." Brennan told Angela her plan about how she was going to try to be friends with Booth. Angela listened, a small frown on her forehead.

"Does this mean you're going to take his offer?"

"I don't see another choice," Brennan said as she rubbed her face. "If I turn him down he's only going to continue his efforts in a more aggressive way. If I take the offer I at least have some control over the decisions that will be made."

"There's a third option sweetie. You can reject all his offers and send him straight to hell," Angela huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Brennan laughed, shaking her head. "I don't think I can win against him Ange," she admitted. It was a logical conclusion, Booth had taken over dozens of clubs over the last fifteen years, whereas Brennan has only been a club owner for five years. He outranked her in skill and experience, and it wasn't easy for her to admit that. "Let's just give this friendship a chance."

Angela seemed sceptical, but she trusted Brennan's judgement. Brennan got the club off the ground and brought them this far, she only had their best interests at heart.

"Just be careful with Booth, don't give too much of yourself to him."

"I'll give as much as he does. That's how friendship works right? You give, I give."

Angela nodded, leaning forward. "I just want you to keep in mind that he does not have your best interests at heart."

"I don't think there's room for hearts in this business Ange." Brennan checked her watch. She needed to get a move on if she was going to be on time. "I have to take a shower before dinner. Will you be in the club tonight?"

"No, I actually have a date tonight," Angela grinned. "With Sweets."

Brennan raised a brow at this. "You have a date with Booth's publicist?"

"He thinks it's a date. It's actually a fishing expedition," Angela winked at Brennan before getting up. "Enjoy your night sweetie."

Brennan had no idea what Angela meant by a fishing expedition, but she knew better than to stand in the way of her best friend's schemes. Brennan quickly grabbed her things and locked up her office before heading home.

* * *

Clarke Edison was enjoying his afternoon. After his meeting with Brennan he went and treated himself to a massage. He needed to relax after spending a whole weekend at his brother's side. Clarke never really wanted the life he was thrust into, he wanted to do other things. He has already started laying the groundwork for his dreams, he just had to work up the nerve to tell his brother that he was leaving the Vipers. Grayson was his half-brother. They shared a father and grew up under the same roof after Clarke's mother passed. Grayson's mother never liked Clarke, which meant that he got less attention and affection. It didn't bother him, he liked it when he was left alone to do his own thing. Grayson was the one who always looked out for him, and Clarke only joined the Vipers because he felt like he owed his brother something. It was now ten years later, and as far as Clarke was considered all his debts were paid. Still, Grayson Barasa was not someone you messed with. Clarke was walking down the street, minding his own business and feeling like he was floating on a cloud after that massage when a black SUV with no number plates pulled up next to him. Clarke paused in his tracks, knowing all too well what was going to happen next. A man stepped out, holding the door open for Clarke.

"Mr Edison, your brother wishes to speak with you."

Clarke rolled his eyes, unbuttoning his jacket. Grayson sometimes had a flair for the dramatic. He climbed into the SUV and the door closed behind him. Next to him sat his brother, wearing a blue suit and dark sunglasses. Grayson was broad shouldered and almost twice as tall as his little brother. His skin was darker than Clarke's and his hands were big and calloused from too many fights. Grayson looked strong enough to lift a car. He was an intimidating man, but around his baby brother, he became softer. He clasped Clarke's shoulder, giving him a good shake.

"You haven't been around much this week," his voice was deep and rich, the kind of voice that both terrified and soothed you.

"I had a meeting with Temperance Brennan," Clarke said instead of offering his brother an explanation for his absence.

"I know, that's why I picked you up." Grayson let go of Clarke and indicated to the driver to pull away. Grayson always knew where Clarke was, he kept tabs on his baby brother, especially when his baby brother hung out at The Lab. "What did she want?"

Clarke told his brother about the trouble Brennan was in and that she had asked him for help and protection. Grayson listened carefully, rubbing his chin.

"I offered her my protection," Clarke finished, hoping that his brother won't make this a big issue.

"In return for?"

"Nothing," Clarke shrugged. "I told her that your protection, however, came with a price."

Grayson grinned, proud of the way his little brother had handled things. "So this Booth man, do you think he will come to us?"

"If Brennan declines his offer, then yes."

Grayson nodded, the wheels in his head turning. He saw various opportunities here to get what he wanted. Temperance Brennan was a thorn in his side. Her open refusal to comply with his demands had caused a few other business owners in the area to stop their monthly payments. That kind of insubordinate did not fly when he was in charge. He quickly saw to it that a few kneecaps were broken, but thanks to Brennan's prim lawyer, he couldn't touch her. Grayson had come close to killing the woman, but it would only cause more problems when she was dead. Now he might actually have the chance to bring The Lab into his fold.

"And Brennan said she would start paying us monthly for the protection?"

Clarke nodded. "She told me to tell you that you could name your price, within reason."

Grayson snorted. Brennan was always the logical one. She thought of everything and was always prepared for anything. He admired those qualities, even if they were a pain in his ass.

"Alright, ask her the standard monthly fee for now. I wish to see how this whole business plays out," Grayson signalled for the driver to pull over. They had reached Clarke's apartment.

"So we're going to help her?" Clarke raised a brow, half amazed at how easy it was to get his brother's help and that he didn't demand anything extra.

"Yes, we're going to help her," Grayson nodded. "We look out for our people Clarke."

Clarke leaned over, punching his brother's shoulder. "Thank you, Grayson." Clarke considered telling his brother now that he wanted to leave the Vipers but then decided to leave it for another day. One victory today was enough. Clarke opened the door, waved goodbye to his brother and climbed it.

As soon as the SUV was down the street and out of sight, Grayson pulled out his phone. His driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

"You've got our scheming face on. I take it you went easy on Clarke for a reason?" he asked.

"Clarke is young and naive. He is also blind to most of the things I do and I would like to keep it that way," Grayson typed a few text messages and hit send. "What do you think about this situation Jared?"

Jared shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "I think we have the opportunity to play both sides here and make a little extra money."

Jared was more than just Grayson's driver. He was also his personal guard and his right-hand man. Grayson trusted Jared's instincts above all else.

"You are correct, however, you're still not looking at the big picture. Have you ever heard of the expression 'when two dogs fight over a bone the third one will walk away with it'?"

"I believe it's a Dutch proverb, sir," Jared answered.

"You are correct, do you know what it means?"

"That Brennan and Booth will fight over the club but we'll be the ones who get it in the end?"

Grayson smirked, he always knew Jared was a smart man. He would forever be glad that he hired someone who was able to keep up with him.

"Exactly. By the time I'm done, The Lab will be mine."

* * *

 **I'm so sorry for the wait guys, I really am. Uni has me by the balls, so it's going rough. I wanted to post this earlier, but there was a party and wine and….yeah. I'll try to have the next chapter up by Sunday. Please leave a review even if you hate me for taking long.**


	13. Wicked Games - Pt 1

**Guys, I am so excited about these next two chapters. They are going to be split into two parts and some shit will go down. Please let me know what you think! The last chapter didn't even get 20 reviews. You guys have to tell me when I'm bad, so I can improve. Let's see if we can get at least 20 reviews for this chapter. I worked really hard XD. Let me know about the Sweets and Angela scene, it feels a little bare. Hope you enjoy!**

 **PS: I recommend listening to Wicked Game from Run and Hide. It's the song I set this chapter to.**

* * *

 **Wicked Games, Part 1.**

 _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you._

 _It's strange what desire will make foolish people do._

 _I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you._

 _And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you._

"I don't like this Angela," Hodgins said as he leaned against the doorframe of Angela's office. Angela was busy replying to some last minute emails before she met Sweets. Her hair was twisted up into a bun, a few soft curls framing her face. She was wearing a silver dress that clung to every curve and her lips were bright red. Hodgins couldn't take his eyes off her, and he had a hollow feeling in his stomach. The thought of her going on a date with another man did not sit right with him. He knew she was going to dig up dirt on Booth, but she was stunning, and Hodgins knew that every man who met her eventually fell in love with her. This Sweets guy wouldn't know what hit him, Angela knew her way around a man, but desire made people do stupid things.

"You don't have to like it," Angela replied, not looking up from her laptop. They had this fight before and she was not interested in talking about it again. "I don't need your permission."

"I'm not implying that you do Angela," Hodgins crossed the room, leaning over her desk and closing the laptop screen. Angela looked up at his big blue eyes. Now was not the time for him to do something stupid. "I'm just saying that I'm concerned."

She was already frustrated after her conversation with Brennan earlier that day. This whole week had been one big mess and she had been putting out fires for two days now. On top of that, she was also worried about Brennan. She had a lot on her shoulders, she didn't need drama with Hodgins right now. She knew about his feelings for her, but he never acted on those feelings. She was not the type to make the first move, and she told herself he would make a move when the time was right.

The time was definitely not right.

"Hodgins now is really not the time. I told you I'm going fishing, nothing more," she glared at him, daring him to continue this pointless argument.

"I know that, but Sweets doesn't. What if he tries something?" Hodgins asked. His mind had been coming up with all sorts of outcomes for Angela's date, and none of them were in his favour.

"What is he going to try?" Angela raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair.

"Don't make me say it, Angela." He did not want to voice his concerns. Images of her in another man's arms have been haunting him all day, and it was as if saying it out loud would make it come true. He squared his jaw, the staring contest between him and Angela becoming more heated.

Angela bit her bottom lip, pushing out of her chair and leaning over her table, her face inches away from hers.

"That's the problem Hodgins, you never say it," she spat, her fists clenching on top of the table. "You can stop me from going Hodgins, just _say it,"_ she almost pleaded with him. "I'm going to walk out that door, and I'm going on this date and I will let whatever happens happen if you don't stop me."

She was so close he could almost taste her. Her brown eyes were burning, begging to be tamed by his vast blue ocean. He inched closer, his lips almost on hers. Why couldn't he just say it?

 _Angela, I love you._ It wasn't that hard to admit. Four words, it would only take four words to stop her, and it would only take one move to pull her lips to his.

But he wasn't going to do it. He wasn't going to stop her because now was not the time and he was afraid. He was not going to stop her for the very same reason he didn't want to make a move in the first place. He was _scared._ Scared that he would never be able to keep her, scared that she would love him for a short time and then let him go. He's known her for years, he's seen the men in her life come and go. She wasn't the long term relationship type and he was. He would love her forever, but she might just only love him for a minute. You don't keep butterflies in a jar after all.

It tore at his heart when he moved away, turning his back on her and walking out of the door.

"Have fun on your date," he said over his shoulder, too afraid to look at her face.

Angela's hand rubbed her chest, almost as if to comfort her hurting heart. He should have stopped her, but he made up his mind. Angela sniffed softly, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. Her phone beeped with a text from Sweets, telling her that he was outside.

It was time for her to get to work.

 _No, I don't want to fall in love_

 _No, I don't want to fall in love_

 _With you, with you._

"This is depressing," Aubrey said as he shoved a piece of pizza into his mouth. He was sitting in their penthouse at the kitchen counter, watching Sweets and Booth get ready for their dates. He was the only one without company tonight and the thought made him depressed. Even Sweets had a date, Sweets who couldn't even string together a coherent sentence when a woman was near.

"Why don't you just go out with that red head from The Lab?" Sweets asked as he fixed his tie.

"Cause she's working, dumb ass," Aubrey answered, finishing his slice and picking up another one.

"He has work to do as well," Booth said as he grabbed his wallet and car keys. He had changed into a blue suit and decided not to wear a tie. He wanted this night to go well, so he left the reminder of their afternoon together in his closet.

Sweets was trying to get a stray hair to lie down, his brow furrowed in concentration. Normally Booth didn't allow his employees to go on dates with the enemy, but in this case, he would allow it. It seemed like they would soon be working with Brennan and her employees, and he wanted them all the be on good terms. There was no reason for this takeover to become hostile. He had already told Sweets to play nice with Angela and to make friends, so hopefully, they were all taking a step in the right direction tonight.

"Unfortunately," Aubrey grumbled in between mouthfuls of pizza. He wiped his mouth before speaking again. "Behave yourselves tonight, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"There's not a whole lot you wouldn't do," Sweets said as he finally got his hair right. He was nervous, Angela was the type of woman who always got what she wanted, and right now Sweets wasn't exactly sure what she wanted. Booth told him to keep his guard up around her, she had a way of getting things out of you, and Sweets didn't want to do anything that would compromise their takeover. Booth would kill him and he was not ready to die yet.

"Don't break anything while we're gone," Booth told Aubrey, who just nodded and brushed him off.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll just be working. Nothing much I break except my back and my fingers."

Booth rolled his eyes at Sweets, pressing the button for the elevator. Sweets punched Aubrey's shoulder before joining Booth in the elevator. The doors closed and they started their descent.

"So…this date was Brennan's idea?"

"It's not a date Sweets," Booth said as he kept his eyes on the counter that indicated which floor they were passing.

"Do you two have a friendly relationship?" Sweets had a bad habit of trying to psychoanalyse Booth. It annoyed him, but in some cases, he was glad that Sweets could read him that well.

"We're working on it," Booth said. They were nearing the bottom floor.

"So there's nothing between you two?" Sweets asked with a raised brow. He wasn't blind. During one of his digging sessions, Aubrey managed to uncover Brennan's address, and it was the very same address Sweets picked Booth up that first morning. He also noticed how Booth's tie was slightly crooked and his hair was everywhere when he came home from his afternoon meeting with Brennan. Booth didn't need to tell Sweets anything, he already knew that they had slept together, more than once from the looks of things. It wasn't Sweets' place to give his boss warnings, but as one friend to the other, he felt he had to.

"It doesn't matter Sweets. It's none of your business." Booth didn't answer his question.

"You're playing a dangerous game Booth," Sweets said as the elevator opened up into the underground garage of the hotel. "Just make sure you're not wounded in the process of waging this war."

 _What a wicked game you play to make me feel this way._

 _What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you._

 _What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way._

 _What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you._

Brennan looked at herself in the mirror as she put on her earrings. For some reason, her stomach felt uneasy. Earlier she blamed it on having a burger for breakfast and she drank an antacid. It didn't have any effect though since her stomach was still turning itself on its head. Angela would have said that she was nervous, maybe even excited for her date with Booth.

 _Not a date,_ she reminded herself. After her earrings were in place she picked up a tube of lipstick. It was bright red and matched the dress she was wearing perfectly. She wondered if it was too much. She was already taking a risk by wearing a red dress. When she saw it in the back of her closet her mind flashed back to Booth's red tie and she immediately pulled it on. It was a fitted dress with sleeves that ended just above her knees. There was a small slit on the left side, allowing her to move more freely. Her hair was still pulled up in a ponytail and she decided to go for black two-inch heels. She stared at the lipstick, shaking her head and setting it down. This was not a date, it was dinner with a friend, and she did not wear red lipstick to dinner with a friend. The clock on her dressing table said that Booth would be there soon. She quickly grabbed a black handbag, gathering all her things and stuffing them inside.

Tonight had to go well. She had made up her mind, if she could somehow be friends with Booth then she would take his deal. It was the right call to make, the best course of action under the circumstances. She would be able to protect her employees and she would still manage her own club. She grabbed a coat from her closet before heading to the front door. Her hand was on the handle when a familiar photo caught her eye. Her own face smiled up at her, surrounded by those of her father and mother. Her memories of them had faded over the years, they left when she was fifteen, but she could still vividly remember the day that photo was taken. It was right before her parents went missing. They were at the local mall and Brennan had spotted a neon club sign hanging in the window of some shop that sold odd things. She immediately went in and bought the sign for her dad. He was so happy when she gave it to him later that day, and her mother had snapped a picture of all of them to remember the occasion. The Lab was her father's dream, and hers as well. She needed to fight for it, even if fighting meant giving in to Booth.

The photo right above the one of her and her parents was the one taken when they opened the club. Hodgins and Angela stood next to her, both smiling brightly. It was the happiest day of her life, the start of a new adventure. She had enjoyed every day spent at the club since then, and she was proud of how far they had come. She wanted them to move forward, not stagnate, and maybe Booth could help with that.

Brennan took one last look at the photos before opening the door and stepping outside. She was just on time, and so was Booth. He had just gotten out of his car and was already holding the door opened for her.

His jaw almost hit the pavement when he saw her. She was gorgeous, he knew that, but she never ceased to dazzle him.

"Wow Bones, you look amazing," he said after he struggled to find the right words for a few seconds. It was so easy to keep a clear head when she wasn't with him, but the moment she showed up it was like his world changed.

Booth didn't look too bad himself. He looked good in blue, and Brennan thought it made his eyes softer. He wasn't wearing a tie, and she found that he was sexy without one as well.

"Thank you, Booth, you look very handsome as well." She gave his upper arm a squeeze before climbing into the car. Booth closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath. He could do this, he could be friends with this woman and still keep his head on his shoulders. He couldn't wait to go back to Philly. He needed to put some distance between them, it would be good for both of them and it would give them the opportunity to clear their heads.

He walked around to the driver's seat, climbing in. "Where are we going Bones?" He asked as he pulled out onto the street.

"Do you like Chinese?"

"Love it."

"Then we're going to Wong Fu's." She gave him directions and they lapsed into silence, the only sound in the car coming from the radio playing.

Neither of them really knew where to start this new friendship of theirs. So many things had happened between them this past week, it was like they knew each other without really knowing each other.

The silence in the car was just starting to get too heavy when the song on the radio changed. The first chords started to play and Brennan perked up.

"I love this song," Brennan and Booth said at the same time. They looked at each other, a small smile spreading on Brennan's lips. "You like Foreigner?"

"I don't like Foreigner, I love them," Booth grinned as he reached for the volume button. He turned it up, belting out the first few lyrics. "Well I'm hot blooded, check it and see!"

Brennan laughed, surprised at the playful side he was showing her. She bobbed her head along to the song, falling in with him and singing the next part.

"I've got a fever of a hundred and three! Come on baby, do you do more than dance? I'm hot blooded, hot blooded."

Booth chuckled, singing with her. It was amazing how easily they fit together. Maybe being friends wouldn't be so hard.

"Hot blooded! Check it and see, I feel a fever inside of me!" They sang together, rocking out and laughing in the car. After the song ended they launched into a discussion of all of Foreigner's songs and albums, which ones they enjoyed and which ones they hated. Brennan found that it was surprisingly easy to talk to Booth when he wasn't in business mode. He was much more laid back and relaxed. It was a side of him she briefly glimpsed when they ran into each other at Founding Fathers, and she was glad she got to see more of it. Tonight was going to be a good night.

 _And I wanna fall in love_

 _No, I wanna fall in love_

 _With you._

"Angela, you look stunning," Sweets greeted Angela as she walked out of the lab. He was leaning against his car, waiting for her.

"You clean up very nice," she told him, giving him a dazzling smile. Her encounter with Hodgins was still fresh in her mind, but she shook it off. She did not want to think about that man right now. She had a mission and Hodgins was sure as hell not going to compromise it.

"Thanks," Sweets said, almost falling over his own two feet trying to get the door for her. Pretty women flustered him, but he managed to regain his composure. Angela stifled a giggle, getting into the car. He was a sweet guy, and she almost felt sorry for him, but then she remembered that he worked for a crook and she felt less sorry for him.

"Where are we heading?" He asked as he got into the car, fumbling with his seatbelt.

"Just up the street to Founding Fathers." Angela had bribed Aldo to put extra alcohol into everything Sweets ordered to get him drunk faster. It wasn't exactly the ethical thing to do, but when someone threatened Brennan and The Lab, all bets were off. They made their way up the street and Angela pointed Founding Father's out to Sweets. They had to park around the corner though as it was another busy night for the restaurant.

"I have to admit, I was surprised that you asked me out," Sweets said as he got out of the car. Angela raised a brow, tilting her head to the side. She fell into step beside him as they walked toward the restaurant.

"How so?"

"You shot me down that first night in The Lab," Sweets laughed nervously, looking over to the brunette beside him

Angela laughed, shaking her head and playfully smacking his arm. "That's because you were fishing for information about Brennan." She used the smack to loop her arm through his, looking up at him. "I saw right through you Sweets."

He laughed, not missing how artfully she laced her arm through his. "You got me there. But then again, aren't you the one who's fishing for information tonight?" Sweets may get flustered around women, but he still wasn't stupid. At least, not completely. The night was still young.

"Don't be silly. I have no reason to fish. Brennan's out with Booth right now, as I'm sure you know. She can ask him anything he wants." Angela was a good liar. Her rebellious childhood taught her a lot of useful skills, and staying cool under pressure was one of them.

"That is true," Sweets admitted. He had not considered that option. He wasn't used to women trailing after him, so when Angela called and asked him out he was a little suspicious of her motives. But she was right, Brennan could ask Booth anything. Booth might not answer, but that was her problem.

They rounded the corner and Sweets held the door open for Angela. "So do you think they're sleeping together?"

Angela snorted and nodded, following the hostess to their table. She waved at Aldo as they passed the bar and he gave her a nod. "They've slept together, but as far as I know they've stopped," Angela said as she sat down at their table. Almost immediately two glasses of wine were placed in front of them.

Sweets' eyes widened as he shrugged out of his jacket and placed it over the back of the chair. "That's speedy service." He didn't question it and took a sip of the wine. A waiter came by and placed a bread basket and some menus on their table. Angela picked one up and flipped through it even though she knew it by heart.

"So Booth's got no one in Philly?" She asked. Sweets had helped himself to some bread and shook his head.

"No Booth's got no one," he answered, not giving out any more details. "What about you?"

Angela raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her wine. "What about me?"

Sweets leaned on the table with his arms. "I saw the way curly at The Lab looks at you, is there something going on there?"

"I didn't know you had a degree in psychology," Angela gave him a pointed look.

"I don't. It doesn't take a psychologist to see he's crazy about you."

"Well he's not here, you are, so that should tell you something." Angela took another sip of her wine, not really in the mood to discuss Hodgins. Her heart still hurt when she thought about him and she wanted to forget about that hurt for a while.

Sweets looked at her, trying to read her expression. It was clear she didn't want to talk about curly, so he moved the conversation in a different direction.

"How long have you lived in DC?"

"I went to university here and just never left. I grew up all over the place, so it was nice to have a home." The waiter came by to take their order and refill their glasses. She needed Sweets to start drinking faster and she needed him to stop psychoanalysing her. "Where did you grow up?" She obviously asked the right question, as he drank half his wine before answering her.

"Also here and there, I was in the foster system."

 _Bingo,_ Angela grinned to herself. Now she had a way to keep Sweets drinking, as it was clear he didn't like talking about his own past. She crossed her legs under the table, her foot gently brushing up against his leg. He jumped in his seat, finishing the rest of the wine. His cheeks were flushed and he was flustered by the attention Angela was giving him.

"That must have been hard for you," she said with just the right amount of sympathy in her voice. She knew how hard it was, as Brennan had been in the foster system as well and told Angela all sorts of horrifying stories.

A waiter came by and refilled his glass. "It wasn't the best, but I did end up with great parents." He took another sip before setting the glass down and picking up another piece of bread.

"Is that when you also met Booth?" Now she was definitely getting somewhere.

Sweets nodded as he buttered his bread, taking a bite. "Oh yeah. He lived in the same street. He's older, helped me find my way through high school. He's a real good guy."

It was not the dirt Angela was looking for, but at least she got Sweets talking about Booth. She was about to ask another question when the waiter brought their starters. Sweets went for his wine glass again, but Angela stopped him.

"Take it easy there big boy, we've got all night."


	14. Wicked Games - Pt 2

**Wicked Games Pt 2**

 _Every time we have to say goodbye_

 _I'm counting down until we say hello_

 _Every touch is like the strongest drug_

 _I don't know how much longer I can go_

 _I never had something that I can't walk away from_

 _But, girl, my self-control's so paralysed_

 _When it comes to you, no, I ain't got no patience_

 _There's something 'bout you girl I just can't fight_

"Hi Sid," Brennan greeted the owner of Wong Fu's as she and Booth walked through the door. Their karaoke session in the car had broken the tension between them, improving both their moods. Booth was still humming 'Hot Blooded' under his breath as he walked into the restaurant.

Wong Fu's was a traditional Chinese restaurant with red lanterns hanging from the ceiling and Chinese writing covering the wall.

"Hey Tempe, how's it going?" Sid asked as he showed them to a booth.

"Can't complain, Sid," Brennan answered as she threw her jacket over the back of the booth before sliding in.

"I'll be back with your starters soon," Sid said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Booth raised his brows, looking at Brennan. "Am I not allowed to look at the menu?"

Brennan laughed and shook her head, leaning her elbows on the table. "Nope. Sid has a special power, he knows what you want to eat."

Booth was sceptical about this. The guy barely even looked in his direction, how could he possibly know what Booth wants to eat? "Are you trying to poison me Bones?"

Brennan laughed again, Booth had never heard her laugh that much before. She wasn't someone who laughed a lot and he realised that he liked the sound of her laughter.

"I'm not trying to poison you. If I wanted to kill you I would have already. Just trust me on this."

Booth leaned back, still not entirely convinced, but he would trust her.

"So how does he do it?" Booth asked as Bones rearranged the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

"Do what?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Know what you want to eat."

"It's his super power," Bones shrugged. She wasn't normally someone who believed in superpowers, but she's seen what Sid could do. He always brought her what she was craving. Sometimes he brought her something she didn't even know she wanted. He knew his customers, and he knew what they liked. She stopped trying to look for a logical explanation a long time ago.

"If you could have any super power, what would it be?" Booth asked as a waitress put two beers on the table. He cracked one open, handing it to Bones before cracking the second one for himself.

Bones but her bottom lip, a small crease appearing between her eyes as she thought about. "Any super power I want?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Go crazy," Booth encouraged her, leaning back and watching her. He couldn't help but notice the small details about her, like how her skin glowed underneath the lanterns or how her hair fell down her shoulders. The red dress had stunned him, he wasn't expecting it, but he wouldn't be a man if he didn't admit that she was a damn attractive woman.

"I would like to be the president of the united states," she said matter-of-factly.

"What?" Booth was shocked by her answer. "That's not a superpower Bones."

"Of course it is," she countered. "The president has a lot of power."

"Come on Bones, a super power is like being super fast or having laser eyes or something like that," Booth argued, wondering what went on in her mind that made her think being president was a superpower.

"The president can protect tigers Booth," she shrugged as if that answer proved that the president was a superhero. "What he says, goes. I think that's a pretty valuable superpower to have."

There was no arguing with Bones. Booth just shook his head and chuckled. "So you have a thing for tigers then?"

"Tigers are beautiful creatures, Booth."

"Just like you." It slipped out before he could stop it. His mouth was functioning without consent from his brain. Her cheeks reddened and she looked down, a small smile spreading across her lips. Booth opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, not sure if he should apologise for his compliment or just go with it. Luckily Sid saved the day by coming by with their starters. Booth perked up, he had almost forgotten how hungry he was. Now he just hoped that Sid's superpower worked.

Sid placed two plates of wontons on the table before disappearing back into the kitchen. Booth's mouth hung open for the second time that night.

"How did he know?" He was burning to know. He had been thinking about wontons since they walked in. "That's incredible."

"I told you, Sid has superpowers," Bones said as she grabbed a plate and a pair of chopsticks, digging in.

"I can't wait for the main course." Booth enjoyed his food, not as much as Aubrey, but he still enjoyed it.

"It should be interesting to see what he brings us," Brennan agreed as she took a bite of her wontons. She liked Wong Fu's because she didn't need to tell Sid her eating preferences. It was also a familiar place, somewhere she was comfortable. She didn't want to put too much pressure on Booth or herself by going someplace fancy. This wasn't a date, after all. They were just two friends getting dinner.

"This is great," Booth said as shovelled the wontons in. Brennan watched him as he ate, taking him in. She had seen so many sides of him — the lover, the businessman, the friend — in such a short time. She wondered how many other sides he was hiding. She hated talking about the past, it was behind her and there was no use in dwelling on it, but she wanted to know everything about this man sitting opposite her. She wanted to know where he grew up, what his favourite sandwich was, where he went to school. It was the small details that made people unique.

"Bones?" Booth was looking at her, chopsticks paused in mid air.

"Sorry," she apologised, realising that she may have been staring at him for too long. "Got lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?" He inquired, finishing the last of his wontons.

She looked at him again, an uncertain look on her face. She understood people, to some extent. She didn't understand their emotions, but she understood their actions. Humans always behaved the same way. There was a pattern to their existence, primal urges were coded into their DNA. The need to succeed, to be accepted by society, to mate and have children, all of those things were programmed into humanity. He was a guarded man, which meant there was something in his past that made him put up walls. She knew this from experience, as her walls were almost as high as his.

"Have you ever been in love, Booth?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"That's an odd question." He took another sip of his beer, finishing it and indicating to the waitress to bring another round. Bones finished her wontons, pushing the plate away.

"Not really, I'm trying to get to know you."

"I think we know each other quite well," he winked at her and she couldn't help but shake her head at him.

"Physically, but not emotionally."

Booth didn't want to bring up Hannah or Rebecca, not while he was in the company of a woman who made him forget about both, but he knew he had to make an effort. She wanted to be friends, and he had to admit, so did he. Sometimes you had to give a little of yourself before you could get something back.

"I've been in love twice," Booth admitted. The waitress came by to clear the table and set down two new beers. "Both times it turned out I was wrong," his voice turned bitter on the last word.

"What happened?" she asked softly, not sure if he would tell her. It was clearly hard for him to open up, and she had the sneaking suspicion that both of those women broke his heart.

"I wanted to get married, they didn't. End of story," he shrugged, taking a swing of the beer. "What about you Bones? Ever loved anyone?"

She shrugged, playing with the label on the beer bottle. "I don't believe in love. People are temporary, why make permanent promises you know you're going to break?"

"You don't think there's someone out there who you're supposed to spend your life with?" Booth asked as he leaned across the table, his brown eyes looked black in the dim lighting.

"No, because one morning they'll wake up and decide they don't love you anymore. Why put yourself through that?" Brennan leaned across the table as well, her face a few inches away from his. Her eyes were like a storm, but Booth knew that beyond the storm were deep waters.

"Not everyone is your parents, Bones."

She shouldn't have been surprised that he knew about that. She couldn't erase police reports and newspaper articles.

"It's not about my parents."

Booth opened his mouth to say something else, but Sid came by again, putting their main course down.

"That's amazing," Booth marvelled. In front of him was a large bowl of Gong Bao Chicken. He had been craving chicken since yesterday and Sid had delivered. "I like this place, maybe I should get into the restaurant business."

Brennan kicked him under the table, giving him a pointed look.

"Ouch," he said automatically, though he hardly felt anything. "I'm kidding Bones."

"I'm just saying, leave Sid in peace," she started on her tofu, trying to ignore the shock that went through her when she kicked Booth. They were like magnets, they attracted each other, yet when they got too close one always pushed the other one away.

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a monster Bones," he told her as he took a bite of his chicken.

"I never thought you were Booth."

 _Hurt people hurt people._ Angela had told her that once. She thought it applied perfectly to Booth.

"How can you still believe in love even after being in love twice and having it fail?" She was genuinely curious about it. How could he still be so open to love even after it hurt him?

"I just keep telling myself that they weren't the one."

"Your optimism is astounding."

"It's not optimism, it's faith."

Brennan snorted, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You believe in God?" Brennan believed only in what she could see and what she could prove.

"Yes, I do Bones. I take it you don't?"

She shook her head. "It's just a myth, Booth. There's no such thing as a God. It's just a myth made up by humanity to make them feel less alone in the darkness."

Booth raised a brow. He respected other people's beliefs. Not everyone believed in God, and not everyone believed in God the way that he did, but the bitterness in Bones' tone made him think there was something more to her disbelief.

"Why don't _you_ believe in God? Forget science and humanity. Why don't _you_ believe?"

"Because if there were such a thing as a loving and merciful God, then he would have brought my parents back when I asked him to." She sat back, the pain visible on her face for a moment before she composed herself. She didn't mean to tell him that. It was too intimate, too personal. She had never told anyone that she spent weeks praying to God, asking him to just bring her mommy and daddy back. After she was put in the fourth foster home she gave up. Her parents weren't coming back and God was not going to help her. She had to help herself, so that's what she's been doing ever since.

Brennan had knocked the air out of Booth. He was not expecting that, and he wanted nothing more than to just pull her close to him. He knew how it felt to lose faith, he knew how it felt when it didn't seem like God was there for him. His face portrayed understanding, not pity, and for that Brennan was grateful.

"It was a long time ago Booth," she said softly, picking up her beer and taking a swing.

"I'm sorry, Bones."

"Don't be."

* * *

Alright, big guy, we should get you a taxi," Angela helped Sweets out onto the curb. She was impressed by the amount of alcohol he could take, but everyone reached their limits. Dinner was fun and she found that she really liked Sweets. He was young but easy to get along with and very bright. All she managed to get out of him was that he was madly in love with a woman who wouldn't even give him the time of day. She got nothing on Booth, so her mission failed, but at least she had fun.

"That was some potent wine," Sweets half slurred as he leaned against a lamp post, pressing his head against something cool. Wine was always his downfall. He could take the hard stuff, vodka, tequila, whatever, he would leave on his feet and not on his knees, but wine did funny things to him. He knew what Angela was doing, of course. She was completely out of his league and obviously in love with the curly haired bartender from The Lab — although she was slow to admit it. He knew she was fishing for information on Booth. It wasn't the first time a woman had tried to get to Booth through him. Alcohol made him talk a lot, but luckily it was a lot of nonsense. Still, he had fun with Angela.

She flagged a taxi down for him, holding the door open.

"You know, you're a really good actress," Sweets told her as he walked over to the taxi, holding on to the door for support.

"I am?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Sweets nodded. "For a second I thought you weren't fishing for information on Booth."

Her face fell and her mouth dropped open. "You knew what I was doing?" She knew that Sweets was smart, but she didn't know he had ESP. She thought she was being subtle enough that he wouldn't notice, but apparently, she was wrong.

"Yes, it's not my first rodeo, you know," he gave her a sloppy wink and she couldn't help but laugh. "You did it really well, though," Sweets added as he swayed a little.

"Well, kudos to you for surviving that," she smiled.

"Something tells me you were holding back a bit," Sweets raised an eyebrow at her. Angela shrugged, putting Sweets' car keys into his breast pocket. She was not about to let him drive home. He could come back tomorrow to get his car and she would take a taxi back to the club.

"Where did you get that degree in psychology Dr Sweets?"

"Same place you got that degree in sarcasm Dr Montenegro."

He was right of course, she was holding back. She would have flirted much more aggressively, touched his arm, rubbed his leg under the table, hell maybe she would have slept with him, but she just didn't have the heart.

"It's because of Curly, right?" Sweets asked as he sat down. Angela closed the door behind him, paying the cab driver for the trip back to his hotel. He rolled down the window, leaning out.

"It's not because of Curl— I mean Hodgins." She shook her head as the cab started to pull away.

"Do you want my advice?" Sweets asked.

"Not really!" Angela called back, giving him a wave.

"Just tell him you love him!" Sweets called as the taxi rounded a corner and disappeared. Angela laughed, shaking her head and pocketing her hands.

It wasn't a bad night and she had fun with Sweets. Angela could see why Booth employed him, he was smart and observant. She walked back to Sweets' car, making sure the meter was fed until the next morning. She didn't want the car getting towed. She flagged down a taxi, getting in.

At first, she hesitated, did she really want to go back to The Lab now? It was a little past ten, things would not be in full swing yet. If she didn't go back to The Lab Hodgins would probably assume that she went home with Sweets. She had half a mind to let him suffer, but in the end, she couldn't hurt Hodgins like that.

"The Lab please," she told the driver before sitting back. Was Sweets right? Should she just tell Hodgins?

 _I gave him an opening, what more does he want?_ She asked herself as the road flew by. No, she would not tell him how she felt. He walked away, she was not about to run after him. Angela Montenegro did not run after men.

* * *

"You served?" Brennan asked as she ate the last of her ice cream. Things had gotten a little intense during the main course, but Booth had broken the tension by showing her a novelty pen he got at a convention. If you clicked the pen, the lady's clothes disappeared, and if you clicked it again they reappeared. Brennan had laughed so hard beer almost came out of her nose. Booth liked a woman who could laugh at a dirty joke or picture. They talked about a few things here and there, how Booth was raised by his grandfather and how Brennan met Angela at school. Eventually, they got to Booth's time in the army.

He nodded, finishing his third beer. "Three tours in Iraq."

"What did you do in the army?"

"That's classified Bones," he smirked at her, giving her a wink. He did not want to get into his days as a sniper right now, not when she was actually starting to like him. It was easy being with her, they argued, they laughed, she challenged him. She was a brilliant woman and anyone would be lucky to have her.

"That's not fair." He could have sworn she pouted, but it could have just been a trick of the light.

"Not tonight Bones," he told her, looking at his watch. The restaurant was almost empty and it was nearing eleven. They spent the whole evening talking, which was a good step in the right direction. They could be friends, it was indeed possible, and that prospect made Booth smile. "We should get going, it's getting late."

Brennan agreed. The fatigue of the day was gaining on her and she suppressed a yawn. She had a great night and was happy to discover that she and Booth had things in common other than being good in bed.

Booth picked up the cheque before Brennan could protest, and honestly, she was too tired to argue.

"Now I owe you two dinners Booth," she mumbled as he held his hand for her to take.

"I'm sure my wallet can handle it Bones," he couldn't help but notice how easily her hand fit into his. He helped her out of the booth and to her feet. He grabbed her jacket, holding it out for her to get into. He waved goodbye to Sid, his hand on her lower back as they walked out of the restaurant. Brennan's skin tingled, feeling the warmth of his hand against her back. The attraction was there, it was always there, but when he touched her it sparked. She couldn't help but lean into him as they walked to the car. He opened the door for her and she slid in, buckling up.

The drive back to her apartment passed in comfortable silence. The whole week had drained her. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a proper night's sleep. She was supposed to go back to The Lab, but she just didn't have it in her anymore. She was too tired to get behind the bar, they would just have to manage without her for tonight.

Booth looked over at her, smiling slightly as she watched her sleep. She had nodded off without any warning, her head leaning against the headrest. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. All her defences fell away. Booth admired the curve of her cheeks, they way her eyelashes framed her eyes. Her skin looked like honey in the passing streetlights and he had to tell himself to keep his eyes on the road. She was so beautiful that it hurt. She was beautiful and intelligent and funny and she wanted to be president just to save the tigers. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. Know that he knew her better he just couldn't stay away. He reached over, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. He pulled up to her apartment, getting out and walking over to her side.

"Bones," Booth's fingers were gently tracing her cheek. She opened her eyes, looking up into warm chocolate brown ones. She sat up straight, not understanding why she was so groggy.

"Did I fall asleep?" She asked him. She could have sworn she just blinked and suddenly they were in front of her apartment.

Booth chuckled, helping her out of the car. "Yes, you did. It was nice to finally have some peace and quiet," he teased her as he closed the door behind her.

"Shut up Booth," she said, her mind not able to come up with a witty comeback. She fished her keys out of her jacket, unlocking the front door. She turned around, her breath catching in her throat when she came face to face with Booth. He was standing way too close to her, his eyes looking right through her.

"That's the best you could come up with?" He asked softly, the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smile.

He was a handsome man, but she didn't see his physical features anymore. She saw someone she could confide in, someone she could be safe with, and it scared the crap out of her.

"Goodnight Booth." Her voice was barely a whisper as she stood on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. She lingered a few seconds too long, reaching behind her and opening the door. She stepped inside, closing it behind her and leaning against it.

She let out a breath, her heart beating so hard in her chest she was afraid it was going to crack a rib.

What was Booth doing to her? Why couldn't she just stay away from him?

She stood against the door, taking a few deep breaths as her heart and her head fought a bloody battle.

 _Oh, who are we kidding?_ She thought to herself, her heart winning once again. She turned around, grabbing the door handle and pulling the door open.

Her heart leapt when she saw him. He was standing exactly where she left him, his hands in his pockets and his head bent down.

It snapped up when he heard the door open, his eyes meeting hers. They were on fire, telling her everything she needed to know without using words. He walked into her apartment, closing the door behind her before walking right up to her. There was no hesitation, just the fire that was always between them. His hands cupped her face as he lowered his head down to hers. His lips caught hers in a slow, burning kiss that made her toes curl. She melted into him, the only thought in her mind was how good it felt to be in his arms again. She had been craving it since he left her office that afternoon and she was glad that he felt the same.

His lips moved with hers, slow and rough and filled with so many unspoken things. Her hands went to his shoulders, pushing his jacket off. There was no rush this time, just a slow burning fire that consumed both of them.

"Bones…" he breathed against her lips, pulling back slightly to look at her. She opened her eyes, looking up at him. What were they doing?

"Come on," she stepped back, holding her hand out for him to take.

He took it without hesitation, following her into her bedroom. He didn't get a very good look at her room the last time he was here. It was barer than the rest of the house.

"Unzip me?" She asked, lifting her hair up. He stepped closer to her, zipping down the red dress and leaving a trail of kisses down her bare back. A sigh escaped her lips as her head fell back. Booth pushed the dress to the floor, his lips on her bare shoulder.

"Closet?" He asked and she nodded. He headed for the closet, opening it up and grabbing an oversized t-shirt from the top of the pile. He walked back to her, pulling the shirt over her head. She turned around, leaning up on her toes and kissing him again. Her hands went to his belt, undoing it before pushing his pants down. Booth kicked off his shoes, keeping his socks on, and kicking off his pants as well. Brennan helped him get out of his shirt, throwing it to the side before leaving a few kisses on his chest.

She turned around, climbing into bed. Booth followed her, climbing in next to her before pulling her into him. He buried his face in her neck as she switched off the lights, forgetting everything but the woman in his arms for the next few hours.

* * *

 **Don't hate me. Uni really has me by the balls, and I promise you will have an update every week, just don't expect one every day, cause I gotta study. Hope you guys liked it, there were a few ways this chapter could go, but I think the end was really powerful. Let me know what you think!**


	15. Scars on the Back

**Scars on the Back**

 _Hei, my Lenie Blou, hierdie bos brand net vir jou._

 _Met jou donkerblou sukkel ek om asem te haal_

 _en die klip in die lug lyk vir my te kaal:_

 _ek't jou gesê selfs die engele sal my nooit kan_

 _keer nie,_

 _ek het eenkeer verloor en nooit nooit weer nie._

 _Jy's vir my die lig in my._

The morning sun peeked through her curtains, shining across her eyes. She sighed softly, not ready to be woken from her sleep yet. It was the best sleep she's ever had, and the reason why was still next to her. His body was warm, his breathing even. Brennan curled into him, her front to his back. She tugged the covers up over them, her mind still groggy. Last night came floating back to her in moments. The way he smiled only with one corner of his mouth, the way his brown eyes became molten chocolate when he looked at her, the way his lips felt on hers…she relived all those moments, a smile spread across her face.

He shifted, his breathing changed. He was awake, but not yet ready to move either. He could feel her slender body pressed against his back. He wanted to turn around and see her face, but something stopped him. He had gotten into bed with her last night with no intention of sleeping with her. That was a big step for them, but he wasn't sure which direction they were going in. He was over Hannah, ready to move on, but was he ready to give his heart to a woman who did not want the same things he did? Was he ready for what came after they got out of this bed? He wished he could turn back time, go back to last night. He never wanted the night to end, because for those short few hours they were in limbo. There was no talking, just her in his arms. He never wanted to let her go, but the sun came up, exposing the things that happened in the dark.

Brennan tangled her legs in between his. It was still early, and she was going to stretch out the night as long as she could. Her hands moved over his back as she opened her eyes fully, blinking away the grogginess. She realised it was the first time she actually had the chance to fully take him in. She was always too lost in him to take in his body, and this was the first time she saw his back in broad daylight. Her fingers traced along long, jagged scars that ran up and down his back. They were old and faded, but still visible. They had healed to the point where she could only see them, not feel them. She frowned, her heart beating faster. What happened to him, and who gave him those scars?

He felt her fingers trace his back, knowing exactly what she was looking at. He wasn't ashamed of the scars anymore, they had healed and they were a part of him, but what he didn't want was her pity. He turned around, brown eyes finding grey ones.

"Bones…"

She had seen the scars, now he felt like he had to explain them. There were a lot of scars on his body, some more recent than others. The scars on his back were left there by his father, and over time the memories faded along with the scars. He sat up, rubbing his face, not sure where to start or how to tell her. The only people who knew what his father did to him was his brother, his past two girlfriends, Sweets, and his grandfather.

But he didn't need words with her, she understood, she knew. She sat up as well, tugging the t-shirt down that had ridden up through the night. She moved into him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Your father?" She asked for confirmation. She knew what abuse looked like, what it felt like, and what it did to a person. In her mind, she could only picture a smaller, innocent version of Booth, his brown eyes wide with fear as the person who gave him life hurt him. Her cheeks grew warm with anger, her body shaking slightly. How could anyone hurt a child like that?

"Yes," he answered, his eyes closed. He was avoiding her gaze, not wanting to see her pity. He didn't need anyone to feel sorry for him, especially not her.

"And your mother?"

"He hit her too. Eventually, she left, and my grandfather raised me."

Brennan let out a breath. His mother abandoned him, left him with a monster of a father. The thought made her angry and sad at the same time. She was angry because she couldn't understand how anyone could just leave their child, and she was sad because she knew how it felt to be left alone. It felt like no one loved you like no one cared about you. It made you feel so small and insignificant like the world wouldn't miss you once you were gone. It was like being dead, except you were still breathing. She couldn't find the right words to tell him that she was grateful to his grandfather, that his father deserved to be burned and that his mother should be ashamed of herself. She couldn't find the words to tell him that she knew what he went through, that she understood the pain and the resentment that built up over the years. She desperately wanted to comfort him, to tell him that she didn't pity him, that she would never pity him, but she just couldn't. She wasn't good with words, and she often said the wrong thing in situations like this.

"Say something Bones," he half begged her, unable to bear the silence anymore. He opened his eyes, looking over his shoulder at her. He was surprised at what he saw, grey eyes on fire.

"My foster parents locked me in the trunk of a car for two days when I broke a dish," her voice caught in her throat. She swallowed, not breaking eye contact. "I was very clumsy as a child, but the water was just so hot and I couldn't hold on. I don't think it was fair, but they gave me fair warning."

Booth was speechless. He was not expecting that in fact, he was expecting anything but that. He knew she was in the foster system after her parents disappeared, but he didn't know that she had been abused in that system. He couldn't even imagine what she went through. After his grandfather took him in things got better, but she never had anyone to take her in.

"You have scars on your back Booth, but so do I. We're not that different." Brennan realised that as they delved deeper into each other. When she first met him they were worlds apart. He was the enemy, an intruder on her life who wanted nothing but to destroy it. He wasn't entirely real to her. He was this big, handsome man with a lot of money and a cocky attitude. He hid his depth very well. Now he wasn't much different from her. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned, he knew what it felt like to be hurt.

"I'm starting to notice that Bones," he gave her one of his trademark lopsided smiles before reaching for her. He pulled her closer, his lips finding hers in a kiss that woke up her entire body. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moving into his lap and straddling him. His hands tugged on the hem of the shirt, moving underneath to trace her soft skin. She desperately wanted to know what this all meant and where they stood with each other, but right now all she felt was his hands on her back. She pressed her body against his, her hands moving up into his hair and tugging him closer. Her tongue traced his bottom lip, asking for entrance. He gave it to her gladly, letting her tongue explore his mouth. His hands moved to her sides, resting on her hips, his thumbs tracing circles on her skin.

She moaned softly into his mouth, wanting to be closer to him. His touch ignited the fire inside of her and he was the fuel she needed to keep the fire burning. His tongue curled around hers, tasting her and taking her in. He knew they were in trouble, that he let his heart win on this one and not his head. He knew it was a choice between her and her business, and his heart was desperately pulling him toward her. He pulled back slightly, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady his racing heart. Just kissing her made him feel more alive.

A sharp sound cut through the room, making both of them jump. Brennan groaned, her hands still in Booth's hair as she looked toward the source of the sound. Both their phones went off at the same time, the screens lit up with calls. They fell back in a tangle of limbs, Brennan sprawled across Booth's chest as they each grabbed a phone without really looking at the screen.

"Brennan."

"Booth," they answered simultaneously.

"Oh," there was a confused voice at the other end of the phone. Brennan frowned, not able to place who the voice belongs to. "That explains it," the voice mumbled to himself. "I'm looking for Booth." Why would someone call her looking for Booth? She pulled the phone away from her ear, looking at the screen. The caller ID said it was Sweets on the line.

"Booth? Oh my god. Put Brennan on the phone." A female voice demanded over the phone. Booth instantly recognised her as Angela. He looked at the screen, seeing that he didn't answer the right phone.

"I believe this is yours," he handed Bones her phone as he took his from her. He pressed it to his ear, wondering why the hell Sweets and Angela were calling at such a ridiculous hour.

"What is it Sweets," Booth asked, lazily running a hand through Brennan's hair.

"I am not even going to mention how you spent the night with Brennan. You need to get down to The Lab, right now. Both of you."

* * *

Half an hour later Booth pulled up to The Lab, his stomach in his shoes. They got dressed as fast as they could before racing downtown. Both Sweets and Angela had sounded pretty shaken over the phone. They didn't even attempt to hide the fact that they had spent the night together. Brennan rode with Booth, her mind on The Lab. She was worried, as Angela wouldn't explain over the phone what happened. It must have been serious because Angela wouldn't have woken Brennan for something small.

They saw the police cars the second they drove onto the street The Lab was on. Brennan's heart leapt and her palms were sweaty. This was not good.

Booth pulled up to the curb. Police officers were everywhere. Some were talking on their radios, others were talking to Hodgins and Angela. The crime was clear. Brennan wretched open the door, jumping out. She pushed past a crowd of officers, coming to a stop right in front of her club. Two giant holes had been blown in the front wall, giving her a view of the whole club. She walked forward, lifting up the yellow crime scene tape that the officers had already put up around the site. She stepped through a hole and into her club. Her mouth ran dry and she felt her eyes burn. It looked like a bomb went off inside of the club. The platform was in ruins, almost unrecognisable. Every single glass surface and bottle had exploded, leaving various pieces of glass everywhere. The bars had fallen in on themselves and there were black scorch marks everywhere. The whole place smelled like smoke and a mixture of various liquors. She walked further into The Lab, her eyes taking in the damage but her brain refusing to process the trauma. The back wall of the club was still intact. The staircase had not crumpled, but most of the upper platform was gone.

"Brennan!" She turned around when she heard her name. Angela had made her way through the various debris towards her friend. Angela threw her arms around Brennan, hugging her tightly. "Sweetie, I am so sorry."

Brennan just stood there, unable to process. Once Angela pulled away she took a breath. "What happened?"

"Come on, you should talk to the police," Angela took Brennan's arm, half pulling her out of The Lab. Once they were outside, Brennan's eyes immediately looked for Booth. He was standing next to Sweets, their heads bent in what looked like a serious conversation.

"Was anyone hurt?" Brennan asked as they passed an ambulance with closed doors.

Angela shook her head. "No, luckily not. The bomb went off after closing time."

Brennan let out a sigh of relief, thankful that no one was hurt. She wouldn't have been able to bear it if an innocent client got hurt, and she would have been devastated if one of her squints got hurt. Angela came to stop in front of a police officer in plain clothes. He was wearing a badge around his neck and furiously writing in his notebook.

"Officer Keenan?" Angela asked in order to grab his attention. He looked up, seeing the two women in front of him. "This is Temperance Brennan, the owner."

He held out his hand for her to shake. "Detective Russ Keenan. I'm terribly sorry for what happened here."

She took his hand, giving it a firm shake before letting go. "I'm not entirely sure what happened here, Detective."

He nodded, motioning for her to follow him. They walked back to The Lab and he gestured toward the holes in the wall with his pen. "The explosion went off at 5 am this morning. From what our bomb techs tell me, the bomb was placed underneath the platform. It was intended to only do damage to the front of the building. No one was injured, which leads me to believe that the bomb was intended to scare, not hurt."

He walked into the club, Brennan and Angela following. "If they weren't looking to hurt someone, what were they trying to do?" Angela asked as the detective lead them to the bar on the right side of the club. It was the same bar where Brennan met Booth only a few night ago, and now it was destroyed.

"Well, I think they were trying to send a message." The detective moved in behind the bar, clearing some broken bottles out of the way. "We found this behind the collapsed shelving." He pushed a piece of wood out of the way, revealing bright red graffiti painted across the wall.

 _The Vipers._

* * *

"What is going on Sweets?" Booth's voice was low as he grabbed his publicist to by the arm and pulled him to the side. He had seen Bones' face as she walked into the club, and he knew that this hit her hard. He was determined to make sure he never saw her face like that again.

Sweets shrugged out of Booth's death grip and pocketed his hands. "I was getting coffee with Angela when she got the call, and then I called you. I already have Aubrey talking to the police and Angela will address the media as soon as we have all the facts. A bomb went off around 5 am. No one got hurt, but there is a lot of damage to the inside." Sweets gave Booth a quick rundown of all the facts. Booth nodded as he listened, his frown deepening. Why did this happen, and why now? This was a major setback, not only for him but for Brennan too.

"Find out who did this, and extend our stay."

"Already on it." Sweets whipped out his phone, typing furiously. Booth looked back at The Lab just as Bones and Angela came walking out. Her eyes caught his and he could see the sadness in them. He knew how much The Lab meant to her and seeing it destroyed like this was devastating. He would do anything in his power to help her. He didn't care about his take over anymore. She needed him. There were obviously larger forces at work here, and she had dangerous enemies. He didn't care about whose name was on the deed to The Lab, as long as Bones was safe and happy then he was happy.

He watched as the two women talked to the police officer, and took that as his cue to survey the damage for himself. He climbed through one of the holes, ducking underneath the crime scene tape. The place was a mess. The centre of the blast was obviously the platform, as that's where most of the destruction was. He was trained in munitions by the army, so he knew from experience that this was a concentrated blast. The bomber most likely used ANFO or something along those lines with a fairly low detonation velocity to minimise the impact of the blast.

Booth picked his way through to the platform, lifting a heavy piece of concrete out of the way. The bomb squad would sweep for parts of the bomb, but Booth only knew a handful of people in DC who knew how to work with ANFO. He cleared a few more pieces of burnt debris out of the way before he found what he was looking for. A round black disk was hidden underneath the concrete. It looked like a mini version of a land mine, but Booth knew it as an explosive booster. ANFO was a tertiary explosive, meaning that could not be set off by the small quantity of primary explosive in a typical blasting cap. A larger quantity of secondary explosive, the booster, was needed to set it off. The explosive booster had set off the ANFO. ANFO was an industrial explosive, it was meant to take down buildings. Whoever built the bomb needed to have experience in using ANFO and they needed to know the exact amount to use.

Booth heard Bones' voice coming back to The Lab. He quickly dropped the concrete back in place over the disk before making himself scarce. He had a few people he needed to see about some explosives.

* * *

Later that afternoon Brennan found herself alone in her office. The fire department had cleared the building of any toxic gasses and deemed the structure safe and in tact. She had sent Angela and Hodgins home, not wanting to be around people right now. Booth gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before heading off as well. His shoulders were tense and his teeth clenched, and she had a feeling he was about to do something stupid. The morning was intensely busy. Angela had her speak to the media at three different press conferences. She spent most of the day coordinating with the police and the fire department. She had a meeting with Cam about their legal options and insurance and she met with her financial advisor about how to handle the next few weeks. She had called a meeting with her squints, telling them that they would be out of a job until she could figure out a way to get The Lab open again. It was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do, and she did not want to relive that moment. Their faces would be forever seared into her mind as they saw the state of their beloved club.

Her heart hurt. That was the simplest way to put it. She was afraid and heart broken, but also numb. She had reached the edge and was pushed up. Too many things had happened and she didn't know how to work through it all. She wished Booth was here, and she had texted him twice but received no reply. In the end, she managed to find an intact bottle of bourbon, and it was now sitting on her desk, almost empty.

She wanted nothing more than to just go home and sleep. She wanted to pretend like today never happened, like her life's work didn't just blow up in her face. She had no idea what to do or how to do it. Losing her club was like losing her parents all over again. She was helpless to stop it and even more helpless to do anything about it afterwards. She felt exactly like she did on that day when her mother and father got into a car and drove away for good. She felt alone and scared, something she vowed she would never feel again in her life, but here she sat.

A loud noise made her head snap up and she stood up. She had told Hodgins and Angela not to bother her, what were they doing here. She headed out of her office, careful of the holes in the floor. She stopped short, the reprimand for Hodgins and Angela dying on her lips as she stood in front of a man who was neither Hodgins or Angela.

He was a whole head taller than she was. His brown eyes reminded her of someone, the name was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't remember. He was wearing black jeans and a black shirt. The tattoo on his arm identified him as one of the Vipers. Brennan's eyes widened and she took a step back. Her heart was pumping faster as fear crept up on her. This wouldn't be the first time the Vipers had tried to kill her, but the last time they tried she had Hodgins and Wendell with her. Now she was alone.

The man saw her reaction and held up his hands, taking a step back as well. "I'm not here to hurt you, just to deliver a message." His voice sounded so familiar, but once again Brennan couldn't place him.

"The deliver it and go," she told him, proud of how steady her voice was.

The man gave her a lopsided grin and suddenly she knew exactly who he reminded her of. They had the same nose and facial features, she should have seen it at once. The man standing in front of her was related to Booth.

"Booth was right about you, you are feisty." He smirked at her, sending shivers up her spine. She took another step back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She needed to get away from this man, he was dangerous. His eyes were like a shark's, dark and calculating. They narrowed as she took another step back and he took two steps forward. He had smelled blood and he was circling.

"Just get on with it," Brennan said, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking. Her eyes travelled the length of his body, sizing him up. He was about the same size as Booth, if not a little more slender. She could take him in a fight if she had the element of surprise, but he would have the upper hand with his strength.

"I'm just here to tell you that we're terribly sorry for what happened here," he said without a hint of sympathy in his voice.

"You're not sorry," Brennan spat, her anger flaring up. "I saw the graffiti, you did this."

He smiled again, looking like the Cheshire Cat. He was moving closer to her, backing her into a corner. "We were just doing what we're told."

"And who told you to do this?"

"Seeley Booth did."

* * *

 **Oh snap! Looks like things have been shaken up. Sorry for being a day late, I couldn't write yesterday. Fear not, you will get an update once a week, I'll try.**

 **As you may have noticed, the song at the beginning of the chapter is not in English. Now usually I look for songs to go with chapters, sometimes the song inspires the chapter or sometimes the song just finds me. This was one of those cases where the song just found me. I try to keep most of the songs I use in English, so this will probably be the only one. I tried translating, but it loses its punch. It's on the playlist if you want to go and have a listen.**

 **Please leave a review and tell me what you think of my destruction!**


	16. Forgiving What I've Done

**Forgiving What I've Done**

 _I'm a rag-and-bones man_

 _Won't stop til the early morning_

 _Yeah I sold my soul_

 _I'm a bad man_

 _Write it on my tombstone_

 _I'm a bag of bones man_

 _Knock knock can you hear the warning_

 _Yeah I sold my soul_

 _I'm a bad man_

 _Write it on my tombstone_

Seely Booth was angry, angrier than he had ever been before, and lately, he had a lot of reasons to be angry. He had left Bones to deal with the police and her club in order to handle some business of his own. He and Sweets got into the SUV, heading for the shadier part of downtown DC. He knew exactly who he was looking for and where to find him. Hindsight was really a bitch. He should have checked in on Jared when he arrived in DC. He wasn't exactly on good terms with his brother, but that hardly mattered anymore. He knew Jared's signature when he saw it. His baby brother spent years in the Navy, and after that, he worked for Military Intelligence before being dishonourably discharged for his drinking habits. Jared's expertise was explosives, he had done a few jobs for Booth before when they were both still in the military. Booth knew how his brother worked, and he kicked himself for not seeing this coming. DC kept throwing surprises at him and he was not handling them well.

His mind drifted back to Bones and the look on her face when she discovered her club in ashes. He couldn't imagine how she felt, and he was partly responsible for that. If he had just stayed put in Philly she would have never gotten back into trouble with the Vipers. His desire for control and his need to always get what he wanted has finally bit him in the ass. He cared for Bones, there was no use in denying it anymore, but he feared that this explosion would cause a rift that they could never fix.

Sweets was quiet on the way to Jared's house. He knew better than to prod at Booth, especially when he had that murder-y look on his face. Sweet's only mission now was to make sure Booth didn't do anything stupid. He was with Booth as his friend and his backup, not as his employee. This had just gotten personal for Booth. It was a lot to deal with and Sweets was going to be there every step of the way.

Booth stopped the car in front of an old Victorian style two-story in bad need of a paint job. Booth hopped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. Sweets scrambled to follow him, half running up to Booth as he walked up to the house.

"Booth—" Sweet started. What kind of a friend was he if he didn't at least try to talk some sense into Booth?

"Not now Sweets," Booth cut him off, his eyes on the front door of the house. "Just…cover me, alright?"

Sweets nodded, falling into step next to Booth. He had that determined expression on his face and no one was going to stop him from beating the crap out of his brother.

Booth took the porch steps two at a time, reaching the front door and banging on it. "Jared!" He called out, hitting the front door with his fist again. Sweets walked over to the window, peeking through it. The inside of the house looked just like the outside. There was barely any furniture inside and the paint was peeling off the walls.

"Are you sure he still lives here Booth? The place looks empty."

Booth ignored Sweets, trying the door handle instead. The door was unlocked and Booth pushed it open, heading inside. To his left was the living room and to his right was the kitchen. Sweets was right, the place looked deserted. Booth kept tabs on his brother, and this was still his address last month, so he had to be here.

"Jared?" Booth called out again, running up the stairs to check out the second floor. Sweets walked through the kitchen, opening the fridge and checking it. There was food inside, so someone was still living here. He closed the fridge, heading back to the foyer when he stopped. Someone was standing at the end of the staircase, and that someone was not Booth.

 _Shit,_ he thought to himself, his mind racing. Booth was upstairs and had no way of knowing someone was waiting for him. Sweets could yell out, but that would give away his position. With his back against the wall, Sweets slowly leaned around the corner to catch a glimpse of the man. A black man in an impeccably tailored suit was waiting at the edge of the stairs. He was a head taller than Sweets and he had a lot more muscle.

 _Alright, deep breath,_ he told himself before taking a breath and walking around the corner. The man turned to him, his back on the stairs now.

"You're not Jared Booth," Sweets pointed out loudly, hoping that Booth would be able to hear him.

"And you are not Seeley Booth," the man said. His voice was deep and made the hairs on the back of Sweet's neck stand up. He had an idea of who was standing in front of him, but he couldn't be sure.

"And you must be Grayson Barasa." Booth had silently made his way down the stairs when Grayson's back was turned. He had heard Sweets and knew something was off.

"Seely Booth," Grayson turned back to Booth, a large smile on his face. "How nice of you to finally come and see me."

* * *

"You're lying, Booth would never do this," Brennan told Jared, her back still pressed against the wall. Jared was standing a few feet away. His smile unnerved her, and she desperately wanted to get out of his presence.

"Wouldn't he?" Jared asked speculatively. "You've known him for a week now, had a few tumbles, and suddenly you know what goes on in the mind of Seeley Booth?" Jared shook his head, almost as if he couldn't believe Brennan's audacity.

"How do you know about our 'tumbles'?" Brennan asked, the panic creeping up her throat. Surely Booth hadn't told his brother that? In all honesty, she didn't even know Booth had a brother, so in a sense he was right; she didn't know him at all.

Jared smirked at her. He looked so much like Booth when he did it, yet when Booth smirked at her it was out of mischief, not malice. "We had a nice laugh about it, how easy you are to get in bed."

He was trying to get a reaction out of her, she knew it, but she couldn't help the anger that rose up inside. How dare he imply that she was easy? And how dare he say that Booth spoke about her like that. She didn't want to believe it, but Booth was a man of so many secrets and she didn't even know half of them.

"I don't believe you," she said defiantly and he took another step closer to her.

"Then you're delusional. The moment Booth set foot in DC all he wanted was your club, and every move he's made since then has been to get your club."

 _No._ He did not sleep with her to get her club. She had asked him that question when they officially met for the first time. Jared was lying, he had to be.

Brennan took a few small steps along the wall. She was trying to get back to her office, where she could put a door between her and Jared.

"Use your head, _Bones."_ The way he said the nickname that Booth had gotten so fond of made her skin crawl. Every instinct told her to run, to move, to do something. A small bead of sweat ran down her temple, but she refused to give into the fear. Her eyes stayed on Jared as she moved toward her office again.

"I am using my head. Booth did not blow up my club. You did."

Jared laughed and shook his head, finally closing the distance between them. Brennan stopped in her tracks, her mouth going dry as her breathing sped was close enough that she could see the gold flecks in his brown eyes. "I may have planted the bomb, but Booth pressed the button. Why do you think he went on that date with you last night? It was so I could get in and set the timer. He didn't want you to come back to the club after your date, so he spent the night with you. He made you a ridiculous offer for The Lab, but when your terms got too high he decided to play his own game. Your club is worthless now, Brennan. He can buy it with the change in his wallet."

Brennan stopped, letting what Jared just told her sink in. Did Booth really just spend last night with her because he wanted to blow up her club? He could have left when she closed the door, but he stayed. It was all too coincidental, how could he have known she would open the door again and let him in? He couldn't have, but there was the slightest possibility that he knew exactly who she was when he came to The Lab that first night.

It was entirely possible that he knew he was talking to the owner. He had lied to her before by not telling her his real name, he could have lied when he told her he didn't know who she was. He could have slept with her to emotionally compromise her, to have something to hold over her during negotiations. Their last negotiation ended in sex as well.

"You're seeing it, aren't you?" Jared asked after a moment of silence. Brennan looked at him again, a mixture of fear and distrust on her face. "My brother is a snake, and he likes getting what he wants."

Brennan knew that to be true, Booth got what he wanted. "Booth is a good man," Brennan defended him, even if doubt had started to settle in.

"He's good to his wallet. He's a billionaire, he could have been married to a princess by now, instead he sleeps around with a lowly B-list club owner. I'm not very good with math, but somehow that doesn't add up."

His comment hit her right in the stomach, causing her to flinch. Her whole life she had tried to build this club, to raise it to A-level status. In a way, she was also raising her own status. She was never important growing up. She was never anyone's first choice, no one ever worried about her. Her own parents didn't even want her and they abandoned her. She was no one, and Booth…he was someone. He had served his country, became a billionaire before 40, what was he doing fooling around with her?

"Booth did this…" she said softly and Jared grinned.

"There's a smart girl right there." He winked at her, his arms on both sides of her now, giving her no escape. "I have to admit, I can see why he fell into bed with you, you are attractive…" He leaned in and Brennan's fight or flight response kicked in. She brought her knee up hard, kicking him in the groin before slipping out of his hold. She ran for the stairs, not checking to see if he crumpled to the ground. She grabbed hold of the railing to turn herself, but she only made it down two stairs when she ran smack into another strong chest.

"Bones!" His voice instantly made her feel safe, even though her brain screamed at her that she needed to get away from him too. He blew up her club, for fucks sake.

His arm had wrapped protectively around her, keeping her from sending both of them tumbling down the stairs.

"What happened Bones?" Booth asked, his eyes scanning her for any injuries.

"Your brother…" Brennan breathed, jerking her head back. "I think I broke him."

"Let's hope you did," Booth growled, letting go of her and making his way up the remaining stairs. Jared was leaning against the wall, half laughing and half gasping for air.

"She sure is feisty, I can see why you would waste your time fucking her," Jared spat at his brother has Booth grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet.

"Come on little brother, I'll escort you out."

* * *

"I didn't know you were expecting me," Booth said as he eyed the man in front of him, sizing him up. Grayson Barasa was a big man, but Booth had fought bigger men before.

"Jared has told me a lot about you." Grayson turned again, eyeing Sweets before walking into the living room. Booth and Sweets exchanged a glance, asking the other one if they were going to follow.

Booth shrugged, he didn't foresee any danger. It was two against one and his gut told him there was a reason Barasa was here. Sweets and Booth followed him into the living room, where he had perched himself on the only chair in the place. Sweets remained by the door as Booth pulled a crate closer, sitting down opposite Barasa.

"Where is my brother?"

"He's running a few errands for me," Barasa said airily. "You and I can talk business."

Booth raised a brow. "I don't usually do business sitting on a crate."

"It's not my fault your brother can't be bothered with furniture," Barasa shrugged, continuing. "I think now is the right time and place for this conversation."

"What makes you think that?" Booth asked as he leaned forward. The caret was digging into his ass, but he wasn't going to show his uncomfort around the boss of the DC Vipers. Grayson Barasa was a dangerous man, that much was evident. Booth was going to have to listen to what he has to say.

"That little explosion at The Lab." Grayson's grin reminded Booth of the same grin a shark had; he was all teeth.

"That was Jared's handy work."

"Yes, he did a fantastic job. The damage is not too substantial, but still enough that Temperance would not be able to afford fixing it."

Booth cringed internally. He knew she couldn't afford it. Aubrey had done enough digging into her financials for Booth to know that. That's what made this whole mess so fucking hard. He knew now would be the perfect opportunity to sweep in and buy the club. He had the money to fix it, but the explosion was still problematic. It would now cost more to get the club back up and running and it wasn't worth the buy anymore. He had done a lot of things to get the clubs he wanted, but he had never completely destroyed one. It was like smashing a teacup and then buying it with the intention of wanting to drink tea out of it. It was counter productive and often the repairs cost a lot more than the value of the club.

"So how do you benefit from the destruction of The Lab?" Booth glanced at Sweets, knowing he was busy analysing Barasa.

"Like I said, Temperance can't afford to fix it, that's why I'm going to buy it."

So that's Barasa's motive. He wants to buy The Lab.

"I could easily buy it before you even have the chance. My lawyers are better, and I have more money." Booth was playing a dangerous game and he knew it. He was bluffing, of course. They were both on equal footing.

Barasa laughed, a deep laugh that came all the way from his belly. "We both know you're not going to buy that club. It's a bad investment and Cantilever would never allow you to do it. I, on the other hand, work for myself, so no one is stopping me." He continued chuckling, rubbing his stomach. "I do have a business proposal for you, Booth."

Something was off and Sweets knew it. He had an uneasy feeling ever since Barasa sat down. He was stalling for some reason, not getting to his point. Sweets glanced at Booth, shaking his head and hoping Booth would catch the signal that something was wrong.

"I'm listening," Booth said, trying to hide his impatience.

"Leave DC, don't look back, and I won't kill Temperance."

Booth flew toward him, his hands on the arm rests of the chair as he leaned into Barasa. "Where is Jared?" Booth hissed through clenched teeth. Sweets was on his phone, checking with Angela and Aubrey if they knew where Brennan was.

Grayson only laughed, not in any way phased by Booth. There was a click and Booth looked down to find a gun pressed to his abdomen. He straightened up, his hands in the air.

"Jared is taking care of business." Grayson stood, his gun still pointed at Booth. Sweets lowered his phone, his eyes jumping from Booth to Barasa. He couldn't take Barasa from behind, there was too big a chance of Booth getting shot. "Agree to leave DC and no harm will come to her."

Booth hesitated, wondering if Barasa was bluffing. His brother was capable of murder, but was he that far gone that he would actually harm an innocent woman?  
Grayson saw Booth's hesitation and pulled out his cellphone. "One text message, and that lovely woman will find a knife in her throat."

"Booth…" Sweets cautioned him. Barasa was serious. No one knew where Brennan was, and that could only mean bad news.

"Alright," Booth agreed, lowering his hands. "I will leave DC, but if you lay so much as a finger on her, you will find out just exactly why Jared is the least dangerous brother."

* * *

"Are you hurt?" Booth asked, lifting Brennan's face so that she was looking at him. He had just thrown his brother out of The Lab, giving him a few choice words as well. He would deal with Jared just before he left, but right now his primary concern was Bones. He checked her again, wanting to make sure that Jared didn't lay a finger on her.

"I'm fine," she said shortly, pulling out of his grip. She walked back into her office, Booth following behind. She immediately went for the bottle of bourbon, screwing the lid off before taking a large swing. "I'm fine," she repeated, more for herself than for Booth. She put the bottle down, turning around and leaning against her desk. It was her turn to scan him. His suit looked a little rumpled, but other than that there was nothing physically wrong with him. Maybe he hadn't done something stupid.

"I'm sorry about Jared, I had no idea Bones…" Booth ran a hand through his hair, hoping that whatever Jared told her didn't stick.

"Please stop lying to me Booth," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. A headache was slowly starting to form behind her eyes and she didn't have it in her to fight with Booth. "You have one chance, did you hire the Vipers to plant that bomb?"

Booth stared at her. Jared had gotten to her. She was a stubborn woman that did not easily change her mind. Whatever Jared told her, it must have made sense. "I did not plant that bomb, Bones." He maintained eye contact with her the whole time, hoping she could see he was being completely and totally honest.

Her eyes were on fire as she closed the distance between them. "Did you sleep with me just to get The Lab?"

She was so close he could smell the bourbon on her. The question shocked him. He thought they had clarified that neither of them knew who the other was when they slept together for the first time. "What? Of course not Bones."

"Why did you sleep with me then?"

 _Because I was looking for a rebound, a one night stand, and you were beautiful and there._

"Does there have to be one reason?" He asked warily, wondering again where this was going and what her goal was here.

"I guess not." She took a step back, grabbing her jacket that hung by the door. "You should go back to Philadelphia."

That was what he promised to do, but he never expected those words to come out of her mouth. They hit harder than they should have.

She was trying so damn hard to keep herself together, to not break in front of him. She didn't believe Jared, Booth wouldn't lie to her face like that. She knew he didn't blow up the club, but what was there left for him here? Certainly not her.

"Why?" It was the only word he could get out. His heart was pounding in his chest as he closed the distance between them again. He took the jacket from her hands, tossing it on her desk. "Why?"

"There's nothing here for you," she said as she looked up at him. Her eyes had a hold on him that he didn't understand and that he didn't want to break.

"You're here." There, he said it out loud. There was something between them, and he couldn't think of leaving her now, not when she needed someone to lean on. He knew what she was going through. Loss changed people, it made them hard. He had broken through some of her walls, he knew that. She had certainly broken through hers. It felt wrong, leaving like this.

Her face softened and she reached out, cupping his cheek. "I'm not right for you, and you know it. You want love and marriage, both things that I don't believe in. I can't change Booth. I wasn't built for change."

"Try," he pleaded with her, placing his hand over hers. "Just try Bones."

She shook her head, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. "Goodbye Booth."

* * *

 **My heart hurts from writing that, and also because of the fact that the last chapter didn't get 200 reviews. Boo.**

 **On a cheerier note, thank you to those who reviewed and to those who reviewed every time! You guys are awesome. This chapter is dedicated to schzimmydalia, ZinaR, jsboneslover, Anon447, Monique Sampson, Beth, IHEARTSEELEYJBOOTH, mpsoldera, and a very special dedication to Lauwy for all your support. You are fucking amazing, all of you. Keep reviewing!**


	17. The Miracle of the Moment

**The Miracle of the Moment**

 _That I'm losing my mind_

 _Trying to find the perfect line_

 _I think I'm running out of time_

 _I need a miracle, a miracle_

 _Yeah I'm losing my mind_

 _Counting seconds passing by_

 _And I don't know when I'll be fine_

 _I need a miracle, a miracle_

 _A miracle_

 **Three months later…**

Brennan woke to the sound of her phone ringing. She rubbed her eyes, blindly reaching over to her bedside table. She felt around for a few seconds before finding the buzzing phone. She opened her eyes briefly to look at the screen before pressing the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Sorry to bother you so early ma'am," the voice on the other end of the line said. "But I have some bad news."

This was not the first time Brennan had heard those words in the last three months. Ever since The Lab blew up she's been trying to find a contractor who could fix it for her, but everyone turned her down. She knew it was the Vipers' doing. They were bullying and threatening every single contractor she went to in order to get her to sell to them. She was having none of their bullshit though, and she still tried her hardest to find someone. She thought she had finally succeeded when she found someone in Maryland, outside of the Vipers' reach. Guess she was wrong.

"What is it, Zack?" She sighed, knowing what was coming. He was either going to tell her that they didn't have the resources to do the job or that they got a bigger contract from someone else. Her money was on the former.

"We just don't have the resources to do the job you want us to."

"Thank you for your time anyway." Brennan hung up the phone. She wasn't even going to bother trying to convince Zack to take the job. The Vipers either threatened him, his business or his family, and those things were not worth losing because of a job. Brennan threw her phone back on the bedside table, turning around and pulling the covers over her head. She was running out of time. Her financial manager had given her three months. That's how long she could afford to keep The Lab without it making an income. Angela was running various social media campaigns in order to crowd fund the reconstruction, but three months was a long time and people were starting to move on to newer clubs.

Selling the club was her last resort, but she was running out of options. The Vipers have already put in an offer for her club and they were starting to get antsy. Two months ago they broke down the repairs Brennan had made to the outer walls of the club, and just last month they used The Lab as a dumping ground for their trash. The police had nothing on them so far, there was no way to tie the Vipers to the crimes at her club. Forensics found no fingerprints, no hairs, no DNA, nothing to even suggest that one of the Vipers were in her club. It frustrated her, to say the least. She knew they were guilty, and it killed her that she could not prove it. Brennan also suspected that they were paying off the police department, but once again she had no proof.

She sat up, throwing the covers off her. She wasn't going to lie down and take this, she still had two weeks left, and if she worked hard maybe she could get somewhere. She stood up, stretching out before heading to the bathroom. She was staying in her apartment close to The Lab. She wanted to keep an eye on the things going on there, and it was better for her to be closer. She made her way into the bathroom, flicking on the lights and heading straight for the shower. She avoided mirrors these last few months, she didn't need to be reminded of the bags under her eyes or of her hollowed out cheekbones.

These last few months have not been kind, but she refused to lie down and just give up. She had worked so hard for her club, and she was not about to lose it. She closed her eyes as the water ran over her face and hair. It was usually in the shower that she allowed herself five minutes to think of Booth. No more and no less than five minutes. She missed him, there was no denying that. When he left DC she felt emptier than she did when he was around. She missed his small smirks and the way he would grin when he was being cocky. It was irrational to miss him, her brain knew this, but her heart didn't. She had only known him for a week, but in that week he had managed to break through all her walls. She tried getting him out of her head by working harder, but it was not working. Eventually, she considered just sleeping with another man to cleanse her palate, but when push came to shove she couldn't go through with it. She kept thinking about how that man was Booth, and how there wasn't an undeniable, unavoidable attraction between them. Booth made her body feel things it had never felt before, and no one would ever live up to the standard he set.

But those feelings were in the past. Booth was in Philadelphia and she was in DC. Their paths would hardly cross again. He was gone, and she was fine with it.

An hour later Brennan was dressed, fed, and heading down the street toward The Lab. The seasons started to change, it was getting colder every day and if she didn't fix her club she would be out in the cold.

She pulled her coat tighter over her shoulders as the wind picked up, keeping her head down as she walked on. The Lab was just around the corner and she couldn't wait to get to her warm office. Wendell had agreed to patch up the front wall, he had a part time job in construction and should be finished by today. If the two holes in her wall were closed then she could start worrying about getting the inside up and running again.

Brennan was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed the man sitting against the wall around the corner. She almost tripped over his legs, but luckily she caught herself against a lamppost.

"Sorry," the man said gruffly. "Didn't realize I was in the way."

Brennan composed herself before turning to the man, sighing when she saw Billy.

"What are you doing here Billy? You don't usually come this far down." Brennan leaned down, helping the blind man to his feet.

"I may have gotten lost," he shrugged, his cane tapping away at the pavement. His orange beard was stained black at the bottom and he was wearing a brand new jacket that Brennan hadn't seen before.

"That's unlikely Billy, you know this town like the back of your hand."

Billy chuckled, waving a hand in front of his face. "Can't see the back of my hand, now can I?" He laughed at his own joke and Brennan took his arm, leading him down the street and toward The Lab.

"Are you here to see Angela?" Brennan asked as she maneuvered their way around a post box.

"If she'll let me. 'Heard about the explosion. I've been at her place a few times, but she's never there."

Angela and her father had a very strained relationship. Angela never knew her mother, and her father raised her while he was still in the army. Once she was old enough to take care of herself, he was re-deployed overseas. Angela hated it, she was sixteen when her father went back to the war and the next time she saw him he was not the man he used to be.

"I'm sure I can convince her to see you," Brennan said. Billy came back from the war blind. A bomb went off in his face and his eyes never recovered. Angela was so angry at her father, and Brennan understood that anger. Angela felt abandoned by her father, and when he came back he didn't want her help or support. He lived in a care facility for a few months, but he kept sneaking out and staying on the streets. Eventually, Angela gave up, letting her father do what he felt he needed to do.

"We'll see sweetheart," Billy patted her arm as they walked up to the club. Brennan was relieved to see that the walls were indeed patched up. Wendell had done a good job and she would be forever grateful. Angela installed cameras that faced the outside of the club. They streamed wirelessly to Angela's computer, so they could see and store the footage of what went on in front of The Lab. Brennan helped Billy through the front door. The inside of The Lab looked better than it did three months ago. Most of the rubble was cleared away and the platform had been removed. It was empty inside, but at least there was no rubble or trash in the way anymore.

Angela and Wendell were sitting on one of his work benches. They were lazily holding hands as they drank coffee. When Angela spotted her father she jumped off the table, letting go of Wendell and racing over to Billy.

"Dad, what are you doing here? How did you get here?" She asked, touching his arm to let him know where she was standing. Brennan let go of Billy, giving him and Angela some space to talk.

"I walked here sweetheart. I heard about the explosion, but I couldn't find you. 'Wanted to make sure you were okay," Billy explained.

Angela's face softened and she led Billy toward the workbench she was just sitting on. "When was the last time you ate something?"

Brennan watched their exchange, a small smile on her face. No matter what Angela said, she still loved her father and cared deeply for him. She always found it strange that Angela was able to love her father even after he abandoned her. Brennan's own parents abandoned her, and she had no idea whether or not she could accept them back in her life if they ever showed up. It was not something she dwelled on, as her parents were never coming back. She accepted that a long time ago.

"Had a sandwich for dinner last night," Billy told his daughter as she helped him sit down. Angela's eyes combed over him, checking him for anything suspicious.

"Here, we have some breakfast left over," Angela handed him the plate, making sure he had a good grip on it. "Eggs, bacon and toast."

Wendell made himself scarce, joining Brennan at the edge of the staircase. He was not in any way ready to meet Angela's father, and he didn't want to interrupt their conversation.

"Thank you for your work on the walls," Brennan said.

"It's nothing. I just wish I could do more." Wendell didn't have the experience or the tools to construct two new bars and a platform. He only worked part time, and then he mostly patched walls or fixed taps.

"You've done enough Mr. Bray," Brennan nodded, her eyes still on Angela and Billy. She was helping him eat, trying to convince him to come and stay with her.

"Just for a few days, you can get cleaned up. It's going to be a harsh winter."

Billy just shook his head. He was as stubborn as Brennan sometimes. "I'm okay. It's not my first rodeo."

Angela huffed, but she knew better than to keep fighting with her father.

"I should head out, I have another job today," Wendell said.

Brennan thanked him again before saying goodbye. She headed upstairs, leaving Angela and Billy downstairs to talk and catch up. She had phone calls to make and asses to kick.

* * *

Booth sat in his office, his eyes glazed over as he absentmindedly played with his sobriety chip. His mind was in DC, worrying about Bones. Three months felt like three years to him, but he knew that he had to keep his distance for her safety. Barasa's threat still haunted him, and he knew Bones was on thin ice. She had three months to get that club of hers up and running, but she was struggling. The Vipers were making it hard for her, and she was on the losing side.

Booth wasn't sure what to do either. He had laid his plans before leaving DC, but he wasn't sure when he should jump in. He knew how much The Lab meant to Bones, he would never let it fall into the hands of the Vipers. Aubrey was on standby, ready to buy the club at the drop of a hat. They had put in an anonymous offer to rival the Vipers, and once the bank repossessed the club they would sell it to the highest bidder. Bones would probably hate him for buying her club, but he didn't see any other option. She was losing and he desperately wanted to save her.

"Booth!" Aubrey was waving a hand in front of Booth's face.

Booth turned to look at him, dropping his chip on the table. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Aubrey come in.

Aubrey just shook his head at Booth. His boss was distracted lately and it showed in their stock price. Booth's failed attempt at buying The Lab hit them hard, but it was nothing they couldn't recover from if only Booth focused. Aubrey dropped a file in front of him before sitting down.

"Those are the figures you asked for the club in Miami. They've taken a dip recently, maybe it's time to sell it?"

Booth picked up the folder, flipping through it. He knew he needed to get his head back in the game. The Lab was not the first club he lost and it was always good to learn from your mistakes and move on. "We've had it for five years now, it's reaching the end of its life cycle. Put it on the market."

Aubrey nodded. It was the call he would have made too. At least Booth still had his wits about him.

"Alright, I'll get the accountants to work out an asking price. Do we have anything new in our sights?" Aubrey was itching to do another takeover. They haven't attempted one since DC and he was getting bored.

"Not at the moment. You're welcome to dig something up." Booth held the file out. Aubrey nodded, taking the file back from Booth before turning to walk out of the office. He wasn't normally the one who harassed Booth, that was Sweets' job, but he felt like he had to. Booth was his boss, but he was also his friend.

Aubrey stopped in his tracks and turned back to Booth. "You can't wait for her forever."

Booth raised an eyebrow at his young associate. "Excuse me?"

Aubrey stood his ground, maintaining eye contact with Booth. "Brennan. You can't wait for her forever. It's been three months, she's probably moved on."

Booth's hands fisted and he had to resist the urge to fly over the table and punch Aubrey. Some small voice inside of Booth's head told him that Aubrey was just concerned for his well-being, but Booth wasn't listening to that small voice right now.

"Out." Booth pointed to the door, his expression murderous. Aubrey knew better than to keep pushing, so he just gave Booth a disapproving look before walking out.

Booth sighed, sinking back into his chair. He knew Brennan had tried to move on. It was wrong of him to spy on her, but he needed to do it to make sure the Vipers kept their promise. Clarke had accidentally let slip that Brennan was seeing someone new. It hurt Booth in ways that it shouldn't have. He thought his heart got ripped out when Hannah left, but he was very wrong about that. Bones had a hold on him that he just couldn't break, even when she told him they would never work out. The optimist in Booth believed that maybe he could change her mind, maybe he could show her but now was not the time.

A sharp sound cut through Booth's thoughts and he scrambled to find his phone. He pushed a few papers out of the way, finding his phone at the bottom of the pile. Clarke usually gave him weekly updates on how things were going with Brennan and The Lab. Clarke also told him what his brother and Barasa was up to.

Booth met with Clarke right before leaving DC. The younger brother of Grayson Barasa was a much more reasonable man, with good intentions. Booth's gut told him to trust Clarke, and he hasn't been wrong so far. Clarke was furious when he found out his brother blew up The Lab. The Lab was an escape for Clarke, a way to get out of the gang life, and his brother had taken that away. It was easy for Booth to convince Clarke to spy on Brennan and Barasa.

Clarke wasn't supposed to call until the end of the week, which meant that something happened that Booth needed to know about right now.

"Clarke?" Booth answered, his stomach already sinking into his shoes.

"I have bad news," Clarke sounded out of breath and very distressed.

"Tell me," Booth urged him, his hand gripping the table.

"Grayson…he's tired of waiting. He wants The Lab and Brennan just won't let go." Clarke took a deep breath. It sounded almost like he was running.

"That's not news Clarke. What's going on?"

"He's going to kill her Booth. He's given Jared the order to kill her."

* * *

 **I'm early with this one, but only because I might be late next week. Please don't hate me. I have tests, so pity me. The last chapter got 22 reviews, which is fantastic! The record to beat, however, is 28. Can we try for 30 reviews on this one? I have questions that I want to ask you, dear readers, but first…Thank you to everyone who reviewed!**

 **Some of you have wondered how long the story is going to be, and I have to say the end is near. All good things must come to an end, but I promise the end will not be disappointing.**

 **Now for the questions…**

 **1 - Where did you expect the story would go? Maybe a pregnant Bones? Let me hear your thoughts!**

 **2 - Would you like a college AU or a criminal/cop (like the 200th) AU next?**


	18. A Shot in the Dark

**A Shot in the Dark**

 _If I lay here_

 _If I just lay here_

 _Would you lie with me_

 _And just forget the world?_

 _Forget what we're told_

 _Before we get too old_

 _Show me a garden_

 _That's bursting into life_

The diner was quiet that evening. It was a little after nine, and the dinner rush had already faded away. Hodgins was the only one in the diner when Brennan entered. He was sipping on his soup, looking like he could use a good night's sleep. His beard almost reached his chest and his curly hair was as unruly as ever. His head shot up when the bell above the door chimed and he gave Brennan a small smile.

"Hodgins," she greeted him, telling the waitress that she would take a bowl of soup as well before sitting down opposite him.

"Hey, Brennan." They hadn't seen each other in a while. Hodgins had to find a job at another club and it kept him preoccupied. Bartending was his life, he didn't know what he would do without it. He wasn't one of those people who sat still all day, he needed to be busy and on the move. He also kept his distance from The Lab since Angela and Wendell started dating. He didn't need to see his best friend with the girl he was in love with. Hodgins had his chance with Angela and he blew it, no need to rub it in his face.

He was happy to see Brennan though. He missed working behind the bar with her and coming up with new drinks together. He badly wanted The Lab to reopen, but from the circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders were sagging he could tell it wasn't going well with the reparations.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" Brennan asked as she shrugged out of her coat, hanging it over the back of the chair.

"My shift starts at ten, I thought I'd grab a bite to eat while it was still quiet here," Hodgins explained before slurping his soup loudly. "How are things at The Lab?"

Brennan sighed, dropping her head in her hands. "Not good," she groaned, rubbing her eyes before looking back at Hodgins. "I keep hitting walls with the contractors and the Vipers are breathing down my neck." The waitress came by with a cup of coffee for Brennan and she gratefully took it.

"You couldn't get anyone to fix The Lab?" Hodgins asked, concern in his eyes. He knew Brennan's three months were almost up. There was no way she would be able to get The Lab fixed before the bank took over.

"No. Wendell did the best he could, but he can't rebuild the platform. The Vipers scared everyone off. They're a determined bunch."

Hodgins sat back, dropping his spoon on the table. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It can't be over, right? You've got a plan?"

Brennan gave him a sad smile as her soup came. "I don't have a plan. There's nothing I can do about The Lab anymore." She didn't want to admit defeat, but here she was. She spent most of the afternoon on the phone with Cam and her financial manager. They didn't have any good news for her. If The Lab didn't open within the next week the bank would repossess it and it would go to the highest bidder. Brennan could keep it for another month, but then she would bankrupt herself, and that wasn't a smart move to make.

"But..but…but…" Hodgins' mind was racing, trying to come up with something to help her. "You can't!" His mind was drawing blanks. There had to be some way to save The Lab, some sort of hail Mary that they could use?

Brennan shrugged as she picked up her spoon. It didn't feel completely real yet. It was like her mind knew she was going to lose The Lab, but her heart just didn't accept it yet. She wasn't sad, she just felt numb. Logically she knew it was over, but her emotions were a step behind her logic.

"I should have—" Hodgins started, but Brennan stopped him. She knew what he was going to say.

"You shouldn't have. The Lab is my club Hodgins, my responsibility. I didn't expect you to do anything."

He wanted to say that he should have stuck around a little longer. He shouldn't have taken a new job so quickly and he should have stayed to help rebuild The Lab.

"You're a bartender, not a builder Hodgins, there was nothing you could have done," Brennan told him.

He shook his head, folding his arms in front of him and glancing out of the window. He wasn't making any good choices lately. First, he let Angela slip away, then The Lab. He didn't care that he was a bartender, he should have stayed and picked up a hammer or something. He loved The Lab, yet he left so quickly. What was it with him and leaving the things he loved?

"Stop beating yourself up," Brennan told him as she ate her soup. She could tell from his face that he was busy blaming himself for everything that's happened these last few months.

"I should have stayed," he said as he looked back at her.

Brennan shrugged as she broke off a piece of bread and dipped it into the soup. "If you had stayed you would be living on the streets. That's not something I want for you."

"I would have managed. That club means everything to you, I shouldn't have been so selfish."

Brennan put the bread down and leaned over the table, looking straight at Hodgins. "The Lab is just a building. It's the people who worked at the club that meant the world to me. I wasn't going to let any of you suffer because of me."

Hodgins sighed, thinking about it for a minute. Brennan was right, as usual. She was willing to sell her club to Booth in order to protect her employees. She cared much more for them than she did for a building. She was sad because they'd never again work together under the same roof. Her family was broken, spread across DC, and it broke her heart.

"Have you heard anything from Booth lately?" Hodgins asked cautiously. Angela was never one for keeping secrets, and she told Hodgins about Brennan and Booth just after Booth left.

Brennan stiffened a little, shaking her head. She refused to let the memories of Booth bubble up again. "I haven't seen him since he left."

"Can't he help? He was willing to buy the club before?"

"Cantilever would never allow him to buy the club in its current state." Brennan had considered calling Booth. Logically it made sense, he was willing to buy the club before, but she couldn't get past her pride. She told him to go back to Philly, she told him that she wasn't someone he could build a life with. In reality, she was too afraid that she'd hurt him like all the other women in his life. She knew herself, knew that she didn't believe in marriage and growing old with someone. It was better to push him away before both of them got too invested. She was not right for him and she knew that. She couldn't and wouldn't hurt him.

She often wondered what he was doing, if he was seeing someone else. It was not a thought she wanted to have, but it popped into her mind between the late night and early morning hours when she couldn't sleep. It popped into her mind when she saw couples walking down the street or when she saw people laughing together. She tried not to think about Booth. If he was smart he wouldn't be thinking about her. She believed that he was smart, and that belief helped her to keep her mind off him.

"What happens next?" Hodgins asked, his blue eyes uncertain.

"I don't know." She wasn't used to not knowing something, and it made her feel uneasy. "You need to get to work." It was a quarter to ten and Brennan didn't want to be the reason Hodgins was late. He checked his watch before cursing under his breath and snapping the rubber band on his left wrist. He quickly fished out a few bucks, enough to cover Brennan's meal as well, before getting up.

"Call me if you need anything," he squeezed Brennan's shoulder before heading for the door. When he was halfway across the room he stopped, turning back to Brennan. "Tell Angela I said hello."

Brennan nodded, waving at him as he went. She wished that Hodgins and Angela would just sort out all their crap. Wendell was nice, and Angela seemed happy, but she just didn't have that spark that she had when Hodgins was around anymore. Brennan wished she could find the words to tell her best friend to stop thinking and to just be with Hodgins. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done.

* * *

Hodgins reached into his pocket as he walked down the street, pulling out his cell phone. He couldn't think of any way to help Brennan while they were sitting in the diner, but the crisp autumn air gave him an idea he should have thought of a long time ago.

He scrolled through his contact list until he found the number he was looking for. He clicked on the contact before holding the phone to his ear. It rang twice before there was an answer.

"This better be good Jack, it's late." The voice at the other end of the line said irritably.

"Oh please," Hodgins scoffed. "We both know you've just settled into your favourite armchair at the Brightmore with a Scotch in your hand."

"Which is why I don't want to be bothered," the man snapped. "What do you want?"

"I'm calling in that favour you owe me," Hodgins said as he got into his red mini cooper. There was a moment of silence across the line before Hodgins heard Max get himself out of his chair.

"I'm listening." The background sounds of the Brightmore faded away, and Hodgins assumed Max found somewhere more private to talk.

"The Vipers have slithered around The Lab and they're squeezing pretty hard. Can you get them off our backs?"

Another silence followed before Max sighed. "I know about the situation. I might be able to do something about it."

"Please Max," Hodgins begged as he started his car, making his way toward work. "You know what that place means to all of us? You're the only councilman I know who'd be willing to help."

Max scoffed. "Don't flatter me, Jack, you know more than half the council." Max sighed again. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Max!" Hodgins hung up, doing a fist pump in the air. If anyone could help them now at number 99 it was Max Keenan. The councilman had some shady connections, but it was just the kind of connections they needed right now.

* * *

Brennan had finished her soup a while ago but she was still sitting in the diner, her mind wandering. What was she going to do without The Lab? She was a great bartender, but it was not something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She had a degree in business management, but she couldn't see herself parked behind a desk for the foreseeable future. Maybe she should take whatever's left of her money and travel the world. Her life didn't have a purpose anymore and it unsettled her. There were too many possibilities and at the same time not enough.

She would figure it out eventually, she always did. Now if only she could figure out a way to stop the Vipers from buying her club. Once the bank repossessed The Lab she wouldn't have a say in who buys it, but perhaps there was some legal way to prevent the Vipers from buying it? Then again, they would only harass the next owner, or even worse, maybe they would kill the next owner.

"I can't win this one," she realized. The Vipers had the DCPD in their pocket, as well as some government officials. They wanted The Lab and they were going to get it.

The corruption made Brennan angry, and the fact that there was little she could do made her even angrier. She pushed her plate away before getting up and grabbing her jacket. She left her car at The Lab, but it was just down the road. Her head felt too heavy for her body and she just wanted to sleep. Unconsciousness was her escape from the nightmare she was currently living. She would deal with lawyers and bankers and Vipers tomorrow.

Brennan pulled her coat tight around her shoulders before putting her hands into her pockets. The air had a bite to it, so she kept her head down as she walked back to The Lab. The street was much quieter now that The Lab was closed. Usually, there were cars parked everywhere and people excitedly rushing to get to the club. Now the place was empty, and it made Brennan feel empty as well.

She turned the corner, The Lab in sight. The wind picked up, blowing past her and making her shiver. All the streetlights were out, which was unusual. She didn't pay much attention to it though. She had just reached The Lab when she heard the squeal of tires on tarmac. The street was suddenly lit up as the car's headlights fell across her. The sound of the car speeding made her turn around, wondering who in their right mind would be speeding down this part of the road. It was a black SUV with no number plates.

She took a breath, her mind realizing a split second too late that a car with no plates meant bad news. Adrenaline pumped through her, keeping her frozen on the spot like a deer in headlights. She wanted to run, but it was like someone severed the connection between her brain and her body. She needed to run, but she was rooted to the spot. The car came closer, slowing down as the window rolled down. She saw a flash of something and a loud _bang_ made her ears ring. It was as if time slowed down. She was hyper aware of everything going on around her. The muzzle flashed as the bullet left the barrel. She blinked, letting out a breath. The car continued to roll by as the muzzle flashed again. Her body finally listened to her brain, making a dive for the pavement. Something hard came into contact with her body, knocking the air out of her. Her head hit the ground painfully hard, and she saw stars for a few seconds as another _bang_ cut through the night air.

Time sped up again and the SUV picked up speed, racing around the corner. Brennan gasped for air as her vision cleared and she saw what connected with her body.

"Booth," she breathed, almost sure she was imagining things. He was looking at her with a mixture of concern and anger on his face. "How?" She was sure that Booth was in Philly. What would he be doing in DC? She reached up, her index finger tracing his cheek. He felt solid underneath her touch, proof that he was actually there.

"Bones!" His voice was sharp and loud, causing her to cringe. Her head was throbbing. "Bones are you alright?" His eyes were frantically searching her face. He had gotten there just in time to see the SUV roll up. His gut told him that something was wrong, and his soldier instincts kicked in. He ran toward Bones as fast as he could, tackling her to the ground and using his body to shield her from the bullets. His brother was better at building bombs than he was at hitting his mark, so luckily the last two bullets missed him. It was the first bullet that Booth was worried about.

"You're here Booth," she looked up at him, unsure of what she was feeling. She just knew that she was happy to see him.

"Yes I'm here Bones," he reached out, pushing a few stray hairs out of her face.

"You're here," she repeated before cupping his cheek and bringing his mouth down to hers. She kissed him with all the strength she could pull together. If he was a dream then she was at least going to take advantage of it. Her mind was foggy, unable to string together a coherent thought. All that she knew was that Booth was somehow here.

He kissed her back just as hard, needing to prove to her that he was real. His lips moved over hers, tasting her again for the first time in three months. She was the air he didn't know he needed. He was drowning and she managed to pull him out of the water.

"Bones," Booth gasped, feeling something warm and wet against his abdomen. He pulled away from her, his eyes widening as he spotted the blood between them. "Bones, you were shot." His body immediately jumped into action. Treating battlefield wounds was muscle memory for him. He moved to her side, shrugging out of his jacket as he balled it up, pressing it to her abdomen where the bullet tore through.

"I was?" She asked, her mind still in a daze. She didn't feel anything. Why could she not feel anything? Booth pressed his jacket to her abdomen and she tried to sit up, to see what he was talking about. "Booth…I can't feel anything." She tried sitting up, but it was as if a great weight was holding her body down. She couldn't feel anything, it was as if she was floating.

"Hold on Bones, just keep your eyes open." Somewhere in the back of her mind Brennan registered that his voice sounded scared. How could he be scared? Booth wasn't scared of anything.

"I feel sleepy Booth." Her eyes were heavy. The weight that was sitting on her chest was increasing, and it was becoming harder to breathe. She wanted to close her eyes, just rest them for a minute.

"No Bones!" His voice sounded very far away. "Open your eyes dammit!" He was screaming, but to her, it sounded more like a whisper. His brown eyes were the last thing she saw before the world went black.

* * *

Dr. Arastoo Vaziri had just bought himself a donut and a coffee from the coffee cart when the ambulance rolled into DC Memorial Hospital. He thought he was in for a quiet night, but he should have known better. He sighed, looking at the donut longingly before giving it and the coffee to the homeless man sitting on a bench outside the hospital. He rubbed his hands together to warm them up as he jogged over to the ambulance bay. The trauma team was already waiting to open the doors. Dr. Vaziri stepped into the yellow gown an intern was holding out for him before grabbing a pair of gloves from the dispenser at the door.

The ambulance doors flew open as the paramedics came rushing out along with a gurney. On the gurney was a woman in her early thirties. A large pool of blood was visible on her abdomen. Dr. Vaziri grabbed onto the gurney as they rolled her inside.

"Temperance Brennan. GSW to the abdomen. Lost pulse en route. She was unresponsive in the field. Heart rate is tacky." The medic informed Dr. Vaziri as they pushed the gurney into center stage.

"One, two, three," Dr. Vaziri counted them off before they lifted the patient onto a bed. "Alright, let's get these clothes off. See if you can find an exit wound." Dr. Vaziri barked at one of the interns. Working as quickly as he could, he checked her pupils and her lung sounds. "Pupils are reactive. We need to intubate, fast." A nurse handed him an intubation tray. He slipped on his glasses before moving around the patient. He tilted her head back, carefully inserting the tube.

"I'm in," he announced as he bagged her, handing it over to the nurse. "Where's my exit wound?"

"There's no exit wound," the intern announced.

"I need a quick x-ray, and an OR, now."

The staff jumped into action, the interns pulling the x-ray machine closer and the nurses getting on the phone to the OR.

There was a commotion of some sort behind Arastoo, but he didn't let it distract him. He had one job, and that was to make sure the woman on his table didn't die.

"Let me see her!" A man snapped as one of the nurses tried to explain to him that he couldn't enter center stage. "Is she alright? Why won't you people tell me anything!"

"Sir, please just calm down," the nurse had her hands around him, keeping him at bay.

"I am calm!" He yelled. It was not the first time a loved one had yelled at Dr. Vaziri's staff. After looking at the x-ray he turned around to see a large man desperately trying to get a look at the woman on the table.

"Sir, is this your wife?" Dr. Vaziri asked, gesturing toward the woman.

The man hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, you have to save her."

"Then let the nurses escort you to the waiting room so that I can do my job." Arastoo's eyes ran over him, seeing the blood on his shirt and the mixture of fear and anger on his face. It was never easy when someone you loved was in danger.

The monitors behind him started beeping frantically and he swung around. "She's crashing! Come on people, move! We're losing her!"

* * *

 **Apologies for being late, I wasn't in a great place this week, so writing was a little hard. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I don't know how I feel about it. PLease let me know.**


	19. A Shot through the Heart

**A Shot through the Heart**

His shirt was covered in blood. The last time his shirt was covered in blood he was in a war zone. He had left the war in the middle east only to came back to a different kind of war back home. He once thought that he understood war, that war was clean cut, black and white, us versus them. It wasn't. War was messy and gray and bloody, and the only thing all wars had in common were casualties.

One of the nurses had pitied him and given him a clean shirt. He held it between his hands as he sat in the waiting room of the hospital, trying to get the image of Bones bleeding out in his arms out of his head. He had held too many dying people in his lifetime. His mind kept going over and over the events that transpired. If he was just five minutes earlier all of this could have been prevented. If he stood his ground with Bones and the Vipers three months ago maybe all of this could be avoided. He should have stayed, he should have shown the stubborn woman that she was the one he wanted. He should have tried to make it work, he should have fought. The way she kissed him on the street a few hours ago was proof that somewhere, deep inside of her, she knew the two of them could be together. Booth had to believe that, he had to believe that the kiss meant something.

He had been praying for the last couple of hours, begging God to bring her back. No one could give him an update on her condition, and every time a doctor or nurse came by he was ready to fight them for information. She had been in the OR for four hours now.

Eventually, Booth managed to pull his thought together. He was of no use to anyone if he just sat around all night. He went to the bathroom, washing his hands and face before pulling his blood soaked shirt off. He cleaned the blood that seeped through his shirt off his abdomen before pulling the clean shirt over his head. He glanced at himself in the mirror. He was worried about Bones, but there was nothing he could do for now. He would give all the money in the world, trade everything he had, just to make sure she was safe. He threw his old shirt in the bin before leaning against the sink. His eyes shot upward. He was looking a white ceiling, but his soul was looking beyond that. He believed in something bigger than himself. He believed in a God of mercy and love. He believed in a God who gave second chances, he had to. He believed in a God who never did anything without a reason, even if he couldn't fully comprehend those reasons yet. Without his faith, he would be nothing.

"Alright Big Man," Booth said out loud. "I'm going to be straight with you. You've dealt me a pretty crappy hand. My father, my mother, my brother, the war, Rebecca, Hannah…those were all crappy people who fucked my life up." He wasn't entirely sure he should be swearing in a prayer, but he wanted God to understand that he was at the end of his rope. "Granted, you've given me some really great things too. Gramps, Parker, Sweets, Bones. I'm grateful for those things, I really am, but I…" He choked up, feeling the emotion rise up his throat. "Bones may be the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I swear to…well, You, that if you take her away it will break me. Beyond repair. I _cannot_ lose that woman. Do you hear me?"

His hands were gripping the sink tightly as he looked up. He wasn't expecting any confirmation from the man upstairs and all he had to go on was blind faith. It was going to have to be enough.

Booth walked out of the bathroom and back to the waiting room. On his way there he started to make calls to Cam, Angela, and Aubrey. He told them what happened, and that they should come to the hospital. Angela was in tears when he hung up, already dialing Hodgins and the other squints. Cam was silent, she always grew uncharacteristically silent when she was shocked. Once he reached the waiting room again one of the nurses handed him a cup of coffee and a couple forms to sign. He filled them out as best he could, unfortunately, he knew nothing about Bones' medical history, but he was able to fill out the payment options section. He handed the nurse his credit card along with the forms before sat back down.

Cam was the first one to arrive. The only thing out of place about her usually perfect appearance was the tear streaks down her cheeks.

"What happened?" She demanded as she reached Booth. He silently hugged her, motioning for her to sit before he handed her his cup of coffee. He wasn't in the mood to drink it right now, and perhaps Cam needed it more.

"I'll fill you in when Angela and the rest arrive." He was also not in the mood to repeat himself twenty times.

Cam nodded and silently sipped on the coffee. Within the next half hour Angela, Hodgins, Sweets, and Aubrey arrived. Angela's eyes were already red and puffy. She yelled at the nurse working the desk, demanding an update on Brennan's condition. The nurse looked at Angela with wide eyes before picking up a phone and dialing the OR.

"What happened?" Angela asked, standing in front of Booth with her arms crossed across her chest.

Booth recounted the story of how he asked Clarke to keep an eye on Bones and protect her from the Vipers. He told them how Clarke phoned him and told him the Vipers were planning on killing Bones.

"I came to DC as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough. Bones was shot right outside The Lab. It was a drive by, so I didn't see the shooter, but I have a pretty good idea who it was. She's in surgery now, but things didn't look good when I brought her in."

"Oh God," Angela clamped a hand over her mouth as a tremor shook her shoulders. She sunk into the nearest chair, closing her eyes as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Hodgins' face went white, but he didn't say anything as he sat down next to Angela. He took her free hand in his and she moved to bury her face in his shoulder. Booth could tell Hodgins was scared, the man always had something to say, but now he was as quiet as Cam.

Booth pulled Aubrey and Sweets to the side, out of earshot from the rest. Sweets had that concerned look on his face and he opened his mouth to ask Booth how he was holding up, but Booth stopped him.

"Not now with all the touchy-feely Sweets." Booth had felt all he needed to feel. Now was the time for action, not emotion. "I want you two here, at all times, until Sully and his team gets here." Sully was Booth's head of security. He was not about to leave Bones unguarded in the hospital where anyone could get to her. Booth didn't trust the DC police, so he brought in his own team. "Aubrey, you know which calls to make. Sweets, make sure the squints are okay."

"What are you going to do?" Aubrey asked although he didn't really need an answer. This was personal for Booth. Whatever he was going to do to Jared, it was not going to be pretty. Aubrey made a mental note to call Caroline too just in case Booth got his ass thrown in jail.

"The less you know, the better," Booth said darkly as he looked back at the squints. He had only known Bones for a short time and the possibility of losing her made his heart want to break down the middle. They had known her for years, their pain must be a hundred times worse. His brother did this, Jared had not only hurt Bones, but he hurt her family as well. That didn't sit well with Booth.

"Booth, we have your back," Sweets said, reaching out and laying a hand on Booth's shoulder. "She's going to be alright," he said softly, giving Booth's shoulder a squeeze.

Booth was grateful for Sweets, grateful for the comfort his friend provided, but he couldn't lose focus now.

"Call me the minute you hear something," Booth instructed Sweets before shrugging out of his embrace. He made his way out of the hospital, his mind on one thing and one thing only — Jared Booth.

* * *

"Aren't you listening you simple detective?" Angela snapped loudly. "She was shot by one of the Vipers, on Grayson Barasa's orders!" She was almost yelling now. The waiting room was empty, it was almost two am. A very groggy Detective Keenan had walked through the door a few minutes ago to take all of their statements. Angela's patience with the man was wearing thin. He wasn't listening to her and it frustrated her to no end.

"You said it was a drive by shooting, how can you be sure?" Detective Keenan asked, scribbling down notes on his tiny cards.

"Because they've been threatening her for months!" Angela threw her hands up in frustration. "You're the slowest detective I've ever met!"

"Easy Angela," Cam cautioned, rubbing her tired eyes. They were all frustrated, tired and worried. Cam didn't want to have to bail Angela out of jail for assaulting an officer.

Angela took a breath before speaking again. "Brennan has been receiving threats from the Vipers for the last three months. We sent all the threats to the DCPD. You should have them all."

Detective Keenan scribbled something on his cards before looking at Angela. "Were there any witnesses to the shooting?"

"Booth was there," Angela sighed, slumping back down in her seat.

"And where is Mr. Booth now?" The detective asked with a raised brow.

"I don't know," Angela shrugged. Booth left over an hour ago. Sweets and Aubrey were still here. Sweets was talking to Hodgins in the far corner of the waiting room and Aubrey went to get them all coffee.

"Alright," Keenan put his cards in his pocket and the pen behind his ear. "We'll pick this up in the morning."

He was just about to leave when the doors of the OR opened. Everyone in the room jumped up, racing toward the doctor that came out. Dr. Vaziri had never had these many people waiting to jump on him after a surgery. His eyes scanned each of their faces, sad brown eyes, deep blue eyes, concerned dark eyes. He cleared his throat, a frown forming on his forehead as he realized the patient's husband was not around.

"I'm looking for Temperance Brennan's husband?" He asked the room full of people. All their faces scrunched up in confusion before understanding flashed across the black woman's face.

"He stepped out for a moment," she said. Arastoo couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. "We're her family."

He nodded, looking at each of them again before speaking. "She's critical, but stable for now. There was major internal damage, but I managed to retrieve the bullet."

The only words that Cam heard were that Brennan was stable. In a rare outburst of emotion, she hugged the doctor. She could hear Angela sobbing behind her, and Hodgins' breath of relief.

"There is something else," Arastoo said once the woman had released him. He was used to family members hugging him out of gratitude, but he enjoyed that hug more than he should have. "We're keeping her sedated for now, but the damage to her abdomen was extensive. Once she has recovered enough we'll attempt to revive her, but there is a chance she might not wake up."

That was the hardest part of his job, telling people to have hope and to not have hope at the same time. Brennan was stable, but she might never wake up. She was in Limbo, it could go one way or the other.

Cam nodded, feeling the tears burn behind her eyes again. She couldn't remember the last time she cried this much. She felt a comforting hand on the small of her back and turned to see Sweets. She gave him a small smile before turning back to the doctor. "Can we see her?"

Arastoo looked at all the people in the room again. His first priority was his patient, he needed her to rest and recover, but visitors wouldn't hurt.

"Alright, but not all at once. Two at a time. Then you should all go home and get some rest," Arastoo nodded before spotting the detective at the back of the room. "Detective? A word please?"

Keenan followed Arastoo out of the waiting room, desperately wishing he could go back to bed. He usually investigated GSWs, so he was acquainted with the Iranian doctor.

"What's up, Doc?" Keenan grinned at his own sense of humour and Arastoo just shook his head. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the bullet he extracted from Brennan, sealed safely in an evidence bag.

"I assume you'll be wanting this?" Arastoo knew the standard protocol by heart now. He had handed over far too many bullets to the police.

"Yes, as well as your chain of custody report. You know how it works," Keenan took the bullet, taking a look at it. "Let's hope it matches one of the Vipers' weapons."

Dr. Vaziri nodded, saying goodbye to the detective before heading down to the cafeteria to get himself a much-deserved coffee.

* * *

Booth parked his SUV two blocks from Jared's house. He got out, slamming the door behind him before walking toward his brother's house. He let the anger inside of him grown and fester. With every step he took, he became more angry with Jared and more angry with himself. So many things could have been prevented if he had just been there for his brother. Jared went through most of the same trauma that Booth did, but Booth took it upon himself to carry that burden alone. He always covered for Jared when they were younger, and when they grew up he lost touch with his brother. He should have tried harder, should have done things differently. But he didn't, and now they were here. Jared shot Bones, he was sure of that. Barasa wouldn't send anyone else to do the job.

Jared's house was in sight, a lone light burning in the kitchen window. Booth walked up to the door, not even knocking. His foot connected with the wood just below the lock and it splintered away. The door swung open and Booth walked in, adrenaline pumping through him, his battlefield instincts kicking in. Jared had been sitting at the kitchen table, cleaning his gun. He was most likely wiping the prints off it. The gun would be unregistered, so the only way the police could tie the gun to Jared was with prints. Jared flew up, gun in hand, cartridge inserted. He was fast, but Booth was faster. Before Jared could even register that his brother had just charged through the door his gun was out of his hands. There was a click as Booth pulled out the cartridge, tossing it on the ground. He tossed the gun on the table before grabbing his brother by the collar. He pushed Jared back until his back hit the wall.

"You son of a bitch," Booth snarled, lifting his brother up and bashing him against the wall. Jared just grinned at his older brother, not at all surprised to see him. Jared suspected that someone was feeding his brother information, and now his suspicions were confirmed.

"That's no way to talk about our mother."

Booth growled, his fist snapping back before hitting Jared squarely on the cheek. Jared's head snapped back, hitting the wall with a loud _thud._ He could taste blood in his mouth and he spat it out to the side before looking at Booth again. His eyes were on fire. Jared had never seen his brother this angry before and he took pleasure out of it. Jared enjoyed the fact that he could get underneath Booth's skin. Booth never showed how he was feeling, never showed any emotion, so Jared had to pull it out of him. When they were younger Jared would always steal his things. It would make Booth so angry. Anger was the only emotion Jared ever got from his brother.

"You shot Bones," Booth growled, ignoring the jab about their mother. That was a whole other can of worms. He turned, using his body to fling his brother across the room. Jared landed in a heap on the floor, his wind knocked out of him. He gasped for air as Booth walked over to him.

"What do you care?" Jared heaved, pushing himself up onto his knees. "She's just some whore you slept with three months ago."

Booth saw red. He brought his knee up, hitting Jared's nose. Satisfaction washed over him as he heard Jared's nose _crack._ Jared fell back, blood gushing from his nose. Booth stood over him, landing another kick to his side. Jared rolled over, groaning as he clutched his side. Booth was breathing hard as he walked over to the table, picking up the gun before walking back to Jared.

"Don't tell me you love the bitch?" Jared spat as he wiped the blood away from his mouth. He jumped up, catching Booth by surprise and tackling him to the ground. The gun flew to the floor as Jared pinned Booth down, his fists flying across Booth's face. The impact of his body hitting the floor and Jared's fists hitting his face left him dizzy, but muscle memory was a powerful thing. Booth lifted his hips, grabbing Jared by the shoulders as he flipped them over. Booth now had Jared pinned. His hit his brother, over and over, feeling his knuckles break under the pressure, but he couldn't stop. Blood spurted up and hit Booth in the face, but he didn't care about that. He just cared about hurting Jared as much as possible.

All he could see was Jared, leaning out of the car window with that stupid Cheshire cat smile of his, gun aimed at Brennan. She was fighting for her life right this second, so it was only fair that Jared is fighting for his as well.

Booth's arm grew numb and he collapsed, letting go of Jared. Jared's face was almost completely obscured by blood as Booth got up. He could hear Jared's laboured breathing and the gurgling sound the blood made as it ran down his throat. Jared turned on his side, coughing and spitting out a lot of blood. Booth took a few deep breaths before staggering over to where the gun landed.

"Why don't you just kill me, Booth?" Jared wheezed as he pushed himself up on his arms. "You could. It would be easy."

Booth picked up the gun, walking back to his brother. He knelt beside him, wondering the same thing. He was capable of killing, he's done it before.

"You're right, it would be easy." Booth dropped the gun, grabbing Jared by the neck, forcing him back down. His hands squeezed, feeling Jared's rapid pulse beneath his palms. Jared choked as his air was cut off. His eyes went wide as he looked up at Booth, his hands clawing at Booth's.

"I could kill you, right here, right now," Booth whispered in Jared's ear as his hands tightened. "No one would ever know, no one would ever find your body. You will rot without anyone knowing," Booth hissed as Jared's eyes bulged. He had made up his mind, he was going to kill his brother. Red clouded his vision as Jared's eyes started to roll back into his head. Booth squeezed harder, Jared's attempts at clawing Booth's hands grew less and less. One more minute and his brother would be dead on the ground.

 _Cause I'm hot blooded, check it and see_

 _I've got a fever of a hundred and three_

The sound of Booth's phone ringing startled him. He let go of Jared, breathing hard as he sat back. Jared slumped to the floor, unconscious. Booth sat back on his knees, his eyes on Jared. The red had faded from his vision and his mind cleared. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out the phone. He couldn't remember when he had changed his ringtone, but now he was grateful. The phone ringing had snapped him out of doing something incredibly stupid. He looked at the screen, seeing Sweets' name before answering.

"Booth." Sweets sounded relieved by the fact that Booth answered. "It's Brennan. She's stable and out of surgery."

It was like someone lifted the world from Booth's shoulders. He let out a breath, his body shaking. "Alright, thanks. I'll be there in half an hour."

* * *

Angela stared at Brennan, taking in her best friend. A tube was coming out of her mouth, a machine was helping her breathe. Every few seconds the machine above her bed beeped softly, indicating that her heart rate was normal. Brennan looked pale and small in the big hospital bed. Her hair was tangled behind her head and the white hospital gown made her look like a ghost. Angela didn't want to think about ghosts right now, not with Brennan's future so uncertain. The doctor explained that the bullet damaged a few vital organs and that she had lost a lot of blood. There was a possibility that she might not wake up, but Angela chose to believe in the possibility that her best friend would wake up.

It was a little after three. Cam, Aubrey, and Sweets all went home. Aubrey had left two guards posted outside Brennan's door, but Angela wanted to keep an eye on her friend herself. She needed to be next to Brennan, she needed to send good and positive thoughts out to the universe. She leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. These last few months had been a rollercoaster ride. Their whole lives changed when Booth showed up, and in some way, Angela blamed Booth for Brennan getting hurt. If he had just stayed in Philly all of this would never have happened. The Lab would still be up and running, Brennan would be okay, and they would all still have a family. Some other, rational part of Angela's mind told her it was unfair to be mad at Booth, but she ignored that part for now.

The sound of the door opening and closing made her open her eyes. Hodgins was standing in the room, two cups of coffee in his hands. He stayed behind with Angela, partly out of concern for her and partly out of concern for Brennan.

"I thought you might like some Jo?" He held a cup out for her and she gladly took it. Things had been weird between them ever since that night at the club. She knew he was avoiding her and that he didn't like her relationship with Wendell. She wished he would just say something about it instead of sulking all the time.

Hodgins sat down next to her, taking a sip of his coffee. "Your eyes are red," he observed.

Angela glared at him. "Yes, thank you captain obvious. I've been crying since we got here."

Hodgins shook his head. "No that's not what I meant. Your eyes were red when we got here, which means you were crying before you got the call from Booth."

Damn him and his observation skills. Angela shrugged, leaning her elbows on her knees. "You're not wrong."

Hodgins put his cup down, leaning forward as well and taking her hand. He laced his fingers between hers. "I'm your guy, Ange."

Angela had to do a double take. Did she hear him right? "You're what?"

"I'm your guy." He was sticking with his first statement. "Anything you need Angela, I'm here for you. I'm sorry I wasn't before. I'm sorry I've been such an idiot."

She felt her chest tighten as she looked at him. She could always tell what he was feeling by looking at his eyes. Those brilliant, blue eyes were as transparent as air. She could tell he was being sincere, and behind his sincerity was regret.

"Hodgins…" she didn't know what to say to that.

"I should have stopped you when I had the chance, Ange. I should have stopped you from going on that date."

The scene in Angela's office had been haunting him for months. It would have been so easy to just grab her and kiss her then. It would have been so easy to tell her not to go, that he had been in love with her ever since she asked him to make her a sex on the beach.

"You should have," she was not going to deny it. He should have stopped her…but maybe she should have stayed?

"I know it's too late and you're with Wendell, but I'm your guy."

"I'm not with Wendell. That's why I was crying. We broke up."

All the air left Hodgins' head. He wasn't too late? Maybe just a little early? He could wait, he would wait forever if it meant getting to be with her. His mind was running away from him. She would need time to get over Wendell, he didn't want to be her rebound. He would wait. He would wait as long as it took.

"I'm your guy," he repeated, squeezing her hand. Angela gave him a small smile before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you're my guy."

* * *

 **I give you this chapter early because I'm supposed to be doing an assignment and writing is how I procrastinate. I hope you enjoy it!**


	20. The Beginning in the End

**The Beginning in the End.**

 _I was a quick wet boy_

 _Diving too deep for coins_

 _All of your straight blind eyes_

 _Wide on my plastic toys_

 _Then when the cops closed the fair_

 _I cut my long baby hair_

 _Stole me a dog eared map_

 _And called for you everywhere_

 _Have I found you?_

 _Flightless bird, jealous, weeping_

 _Or lost you?_

Darkness. That's all there was for a while. It was comforting, like floating between soft waves on a calm ocean. There was no pain, no fear, just the sense of a consciousness drifting through the black spaces between the stars. Slowly and softly, like a mother waking a child up for school, she started to rise from the darkness. At first, she could only feel the soft sheets beneath her fingers, then the mattress beneath her body. She could hear the soft beeping of something above her head. The rhythm was steady and ever-present, like a heartbeat. She could hear the sound of someone else breathing in the room. It too was slow and steady. It was comforting to know that she wasn't alone, where ever she was. Her mind couldn't string together a coherent thought, and all she got were glimpses of a life she had lived. Moments flashed by, faces, one after the next, some clearer than others. Then there was his face, looming over her, as bright as daylight. She wanted to open her eyes, but something was holding her back. It was like a thick fog had settled over her, pressing her back into the darkness. She did not want to go back, she wanted to open her eyes, she wanted to see his face.

A sharp pain dug into her abdomen, forcing air into her lungs as she gasped. There was something down her throat, something that was stopping her from breathing. She gagged, her muscles immediately pulling together as she panicked. She tried to breathe, but the thing down her throat made it impossible. The monitor above her head started screaming, only adding to her panic.

"Doctor! She's waking up!" A panicked voice called out. She knew that voice, it belonged to the face of the man she saw. She heard a door opening and multiple people rushing into the room. They were talking too fast for her to follow, but mercifully someone pulled the tube from her throat. Her eyes flew open as she coughed and gagged. She curled up, but the pain in her abdomen forced her to straighten again. The intense white light of the room blinded her and she blinked a few times. Two men were standing over her.

"Temperance, can you hear me?" The dark skinned man asked. He was wearing blue scrubs and a stethoscope hung around his neck.

"Where am I?" She croaked. Her throat was as dry as the desert and chafed like sandpaper when she tried to talk. The other man moved to get a glass of water, taking her hand and wrapping it around the glass. Her gaze turned from the doctor to the other man and her pulse quickened. Booth. He was here, she hadn't hallucinated him. He looked terrible. There were dark circles underneath his eyes and worry lines across his forehead, making him look five years older. She brought the glass to her mouth, taking a few gulps of the water.

"Take it easy Bones," Booth cautioned her, watching her intently as she drank. "You're in the hospital," he added.

"What happened?" Brennan asked after finishing the water. She handed the glass back to Booth before turning to the doctor.

"You were shot in the abdomen," the doctor explained. "The damage was extensive, but I've managed to repair most of it. We'll keep you here a few more days to make sure there's no more internal bleeding."

"How long have I been here?"

"Four days."

Brennan nodded as she sank back into the pillow. She had been out for four days? No wonder Booth looked like hell. She looked around the room, taking in her surroundings. It was a basic hospital room, white walls, and white floors. There was a window to her left and outside the sky was dark. A bunch of flowers stood on the table beside her bed, along with some 'get well' cards. On the right side of the room was a couch with a blanket strew across it, almost like someone had slept there. She suspected it was Booth, and the thought made her heartbeat increase. The doctor raised a brow, checking her vitals and giving her another round of pain killers before taking his leave. When he was gone, Brennan turned to Booth.

"I was shot?"

He nodded, his frown deepening. "You don't remember?"

"The details are fuzzy," she shook her head, trying to clear it from all the medicine that was hindering its function. "I remember walking back to The Lab, a black car…and then you were there." She frowned as the memories came back into focus. "You saved my life Booth."

He sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. His clothes were wrinkled and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days. "I'm the reason your life was in danger in the first place," he said bitterly, avoiding her gaze.

"You can't possibly be blaming yourself?" she asked him. She felt around for the remote, finding it and pressing the button that raised the top half of the bed. She winced as another pain shot through her abdomen, letting go of the remote. "None of this is your fault."

She was saying it, but Booth didn't entirely believe it. The last four days had given him enough time to stew in his emotions. "My brother shot you."

"Then it's Jared's fault," Brennan frowned, not understanding his logic. "Booth, I'm the one who told you to go back to Philly. I'm the one who pissed off the Vipers, Jared took the shot. It's his fault, not yours."

Booth sighed again, taking a step closer to her bed. He reached out, smoothing her hair back and looking down at her. It was pointless arguing with her, he knew that. She didn't blame him, and that's all that mattered. He was afraid that when — if — she woke up she would kick him out.

"I should have been here Bones, I should have fought."

Her chest tightened as she wondered if things would have been different if he had stayed. "I'm a stubborn person Booth. I would never have given in."

He leaned back, his hand dropping from her face. He should have known three months didn't change her mind about them. She had kissed him when she saw him, but she was in shock from the gunshot. It probably meant nothing.

Brennan saw the look on his face as his hand dropped and her heart hurt more than her abdomen. That's why she told him to leave in the first place. She couldn't bare to see him hurt like that. She reached out, wincing a little as she stretched to grab his hand again. She tugged him closer, wishing she could get up and hug him.

"You came back when it mattered Booth, and that's what matters to me."

He looked down at their hands, lacing his fingers in between hers. He couldn't help but think that her hand fit perfectly into his. There was so much they still had to discover about each other, but he was willing — if only she was.

"Does it matter enough?"

She raised a brow, not sure about his meaning. "Matter enough? Enough for what Booth?"

He took a breath. He needed to tell her how he felt about her, that the last four days have been killing him, that he couldn't bear to lose her, but what if it was all too much? What if she just hid behind all her walls again, pushing him back all the way to Philly? He wasn't sure how he would cope when that happened, but he was a gambler, and he always took his chances.

"Does it matter enough for you to change your mind about us?"

Brennan looked down at their hands, wondering how to answer his question. Of course she had feelings for him, very strong feelings at that. When she kissed him in the street she realised how much she had missed him and how much she had craved him. Was she finally going to stop listening to her head all the time and just follow her heart for once?  
"Booth, I can't —" she started, but he interrupted her.

"—No Bones, just listen for a second. You've made my life messy and confusing and unfocused and these last three months away from you have been hell. I've been sitting in this hospital room for four days, praying that you'll wake up. It doesn't matter how long I've known you, all that matters is that you've had me smiling from day one. Just…give us a chance Bones? That's all I'm asking for. Give me a chance." His voice had started to break on the last word. Screw not scaring her, maybe she needed a little scare. He needed to get that off his chest.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked.

"What?" Booth blinked, her question throwing him for a complete loop.

"Your hand," Brennan gestured to his right hand, which was resting against the bed. A nurse had bandaged his hand after he beat the crap out of Jared. He hardly felt it anymore.

"I…I beat the crap out of my brother."

Brennan rested her head against the pillow. He was fiercely protective of her, that's why she always felt safe when he was around. It was difficult for her, the last people she felt safe around were her parents, and they abandoned her. What if Booth abandoned her too?

 _He won't,_ her heart whispered. _He's in this for the long run._

"Where is Jared now?"

"In jail. The police picked him up the night you got shot. The gun he used was matched to the bullet. He's going away for a long time."

"Did you have something to do with the police so finding him and the gun?"

Booth smirked that lopsided smirk that Brennan had missed so much. "I might have."

"Alright, you can kiss me now."

"What?" Booth asked again and Brennan laughed.

"Do you have cotton balls for ears Seeley Booth? I'm not repeating myself."

She didn't have to ask him twice, that's for sure. Booth grinned as he leaned down over her. His lips brushed against hers, slowly and softly at first. He let go of her hand to brace himself against the bed, careful not to put any weight on her in order not to hurt her. Her hand moved into his hair, gently tugging him closer. His lips moved over hers, so familiar yet so new at the same time. Her stomach flipped as his tongue traced her bottom lip and she pulled back a bit.

"What if I can't…open up?" Brennan asked against his lips, resting her forehead against his. Booth opened his eyes to look at her. He slowly sat down next to her on the bed, careful not to hurt her.

"You've opened up to me before Bones."

"Unintentionally, when I was distracted by sex."

Booth chuckled, shaking his head at her. She was something else. "I can distract you with sex all the time Bones."

She grinned despite herself. He had a way of making her smile even when she was trying to be serious. "What if I can't…If we can't…" She sighed, biting the inside of her cheek before spitting it out. "What if I can't make love?" She looked down, her cheeks flushing. She hated feeling this vulnerable, and if she wasn't high on painkillers she might never have admitted to him that she's never made love. She's had sex before, obviously, because it was necessary, but making love wasn't necessary.

"Bones…" Booth placed two fingers under her chin, lifting her face so that she was looking at him. "You don't make love, you feel it. It's about that spark, that connection between two people. It's about the pull between us." His eyes searched hers as he spoke. "I know you feel it, you can't keep your hands off me."

Brennan grinned, smacking his arm playfully. "You talk a good game Booth, now you just have to prove it."

Booth grinned, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Trust me Bones, I will."

* * *

Grayson Barasa's house was dark when he walked in. He shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it on the table by the door. He had a particularly testing day and he wanted nothing more than a glass of whiskey. He made his way through the darkness, knowing every inch of his home, toward the living room. His best man failed to do the job that was asked of him. Temperance Brennan was still alive, and he had just received word that Jared had been picked up by the police. Things were going so well last week and now everything had just blown up in his face. The bank had also informed him that he lost out on the bid for The Lab, so he was ready to shoot someone. His mind had already started working on plans to get The Lab from the new owner. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to kill a few more people along the way? He had to start thinking about Jared's replacement as well. He could get the man out of jail, he'd only need to pull a few strings, but he was pissed. Jared was supposed to be the best, and he fucked up. Let him rot in prison for a while.

Barasa entered the living room, stopping short as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Someone was watching him. There was a _click_ and one of the lights went on, illuminating the man sitting in the chair by the window. Barasa sighed, he shouldn't be surprised. He walked over to the drinks cart, pulling out a bottle of whiskey.

"Drink?" Barasa offered.

"Sure, why not," Booth answered, not moving from where he was sitting. Outside the wind started to pick up, howling around the house.

"Do I want to know how you got in here?" Barasa asked as he poured them both a glass.

"I've broken into places with tighter security," Booth said by way of explanation. It had been fairly easy to sneak into Barasa's estate. His guards were predictable and an infant could pick the lock on his back door. Booth had been prepared for tighter security and was pleasantly surprised when it was so easy. That meant that it would be easy to get Barasa's body out of there as well.

"Remind me to replace my head of security." Barasa walked over to Booth, handing him a glass before sitting down in the chair opposite him. "Your brother's performance was very disappointing."

"It's too bad the police caught him red handed," Booth tilted his glass toward Barasa before taking a sip. He had to admit, Barasa had good taste in whiskey.

"Funny how that worked out," Barasa's eyes narrowed as he looked at Booth. Did Booth have something to do with Jared's arrest? It wasn't impossible.

"Everything always works out in the end." Booth set his glass down on the table beside him, pocketing his hands. "I made you a promise Barasa."

Barasa's eyebrows raised as he took a sip of his whiskey. "Which promise are you referring to? The one about staying out of DC?" He waved a hand toward Booth. "Clearly you haven't kept that promise."

"And neither have you kept yours." Booth leaned forward, trying to keep from losing his temper. "Bones is in the hospital with a gunshot wound."

"Yes well, the streets of DC are very dangerous. She should be more careful," Barasa smirked as he leaned back in his chair, shoulders relaxed.

Booth's hands balled into fists and he locked his jaw to keep himself from saying something he shouldn't. Was Barasa really going to deny giving Jared the order to kill Bones? Was he that stupid? "You gave Jared the order to have her killed. We had a deal, Barasa. As long as I stayed out of DC you wouldn't hurt her."

"She was in the way, Booth." Barasa twirled his empty glass in his hand, his eyes on it instead of Booth. Surely the businessman would understand? The world was a harsh place, and sometimes you had to take what you wanted by force. Booth was just as eager to get his hands on The Lab, he would have done anything for that club, and so would Barasa. He did do everything in his power. Brennan was the last obstacle in his way, she had to be eliminated.

"And now you're in my way." There was another _click_ and Barasa's gaze flickered toward Booth. The gun in Booth's hand was black as the night, almost invisible in the dimly lit room. It was cocked and loaded, Booth's finger on the trigger.

"You won't kill me Booth," Barasa said nonchalantly. The man had too much honour. He was too good, he had a conscious. Cold blooded murder was not Booth's style.

"You put a bullet in the woman I love," Booth said coldly. His entire demeanour had changed, he went from relaxed to stone cold in a few seconds.

Barasa shifted in his seat, crossing his legs. "Oh, so it's love now? The sex must have been good."

Booth's finger tightened on the trigger. He was tired of people chalking his feelings for Bones up to the sex they've had. How did the whole world find out about their sex anyway? It was probably Angela, but that was another matter entirely. He should have shot Barasa then and there, but the logical side of him stopped him. He needed it to be clean, and multiple gunshots were messy.

"I made you a promise just before I left, do you remember it?" Booth asked.

Barasa almost rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of the chit-chat. Booth should just kill him and get it over with already. Booth's hesitation was further proof that he wasn't going to kill Barasa.

"Vaguely. You'll have to remind me."

Booth stood up, walking over to Barasa. "Get up," he ordered.

Barasa raised a brow at Booth. "You're not going to kill me, Booth."

"No, I'm not. Not here anyway." Booth brought the gun up, hitting Barasa squarely in the jaw with the hilt to demonstrate just how serious he was. "No get up, we're going for a ride."

* * *

Angela poked her head around the door of Brennan's hospital room, smiling when she saw that her friend was awake. She walked into the room, dragging a suitcase behind her. Brennan was busy looking out the window, watching the cars pass by on the street. Booth left over two hours ago, claiming that he had some business he needed to take care of. She was worried that he was going to do something even more stupid than beat the crap out of her brother. Detective Keenan had been by as well to take her statement and to wish her a speedy recovery. The sound of Angela entering the room turned Brennan's head and a similar smile to Angela's spread over her face.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" Angela exclaimed, letting go of the suitcase as she rushed over to Brennan. The suitcase landed with a _thunk_ on the floor as Angela carefully embraced Brennan.

"I am too," Brennan said as she affectionately patted Angela's back. "The doctor said I was out for four days."

Angela nodded as she let go of Brennan. "Four days of absolute torture. I thought Booth was either going to go crazy or murder someone."

Brennan smiled despite herself. She couldn't imagine what Booth went through while she was out, but it made her happy that he cared about her. "I can assure you that Booth is fine."

"Where is he, anyway? He's been glued to your side all this time and now he disappears?" Angela asked as she returned to the suitcase, picking it up and setting it down on the couch.

"He didn't say where he was going, just that he'd be back later." Brennan watched as Angela zipped open the suitcase.

"If I were Booth, I'd go beat up Jared again." Angela removed a toiletries bag from inside the suitcase, putting it on Brennan's nightstand. "I thought you'd be more comfortable if you had your own things to shower with. I also brought you some extra PJs, since the doctor wants to keep you here for at least a week."

"You know about Booth beating up Jared?" Brennan raised a brow before smiling. Angela was always the one who took care of her, no matter what. Brennan hand't realised until now how much she depended on Angela. She always thought she was alone, that she didn't have anyone because everyone always left, but Angela's been with her since college. "Thank you, Angela."

"Yeah, Hodgins and I were here when he came in with broken knuckles. He gave the nurse a phoney story about falling down the stairs. I didn't believe him, he's way too coordinated to trip." Angela packed the extra sets of PJs into the cupboard before closing it and sitting down on the side of Brennan's bed. "You're welcome Sweetie, as always."

"Speaking of Hodgins, where is he?" Booth had mentioned before he left that Angela and Hodgins would be coming by soon. Angela was here, so where was Hodgins?

"He's at work." Angela looked at her watch. "He should be here within the next twenty minutes."

Brennan raised a brow. "Oh, so you two are talking to each other again?"

Angela smiled, filling Brennan in on the events that transpired while she was asleep. "Wendell and I broke up, and Hodgins said he would wait for me."

Brennan smiled, happy for her friend. It was about time Hodgins and Angela sorted their stuff out. "If I had known you two would get together after I got shot I would have walked in front of a bullet a long time ago," Brennan joked.

Angela shook her head, her eyes wide. "Don't you even joke about those things Temperance Brennan. It was touch and go for a while. You heart stopped, twice." Angela looked like she was on the verge of tears. Brennan reached out, grabbing her hand and squeezing it.

"I'm alright Angela. I promise. I didn't die."

"Obviously," Angela snorted, swallowing her tears. Now was no the time to cry, it was the time to be happy.

"Angela!" Hodgins' voice made both women's heads snap up. He came skidding into the room, a childish grin on his face. There was dust in his hair and he his shirt was dirty. "Brennan! I'm so glad you're awake." Without stopping Hodgins slid over to Brennan's bed, leaning over and hugging her tightly.

"Easy Hodgins," Brennan's laugh turned into a groan as a pain shot up her stomach, but she hugged him back anyway. "Gunshot wound, remember?"

"Sorry," Hodgins apologised, pulling away. "I'm just really glad you're up. Now I can show you these." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening up the photos before handing the phone to Brennan.

"Hodgins, I haven't —" Angela started, trying to stop Hodgins, but his excitement was everywhere. He was already leaning over Brennan, scrolling through the photos.

"This is the new outside, and construction has started on the inside. I had them revamp the bar area a bit, but I think you'll like it. Booth agrees that the new plans are better than the old ones, and he is the expert here."

Brennan shook her head, not understanding what Hodgins was talking about. He was showing her photos of The Lab, but shouldn't The Lab be in someone else's possession? "Hodgins, what are you talking about?"

Hodgins' eyes went wide and he looked at Angela, who was giving him a pointed look. "You haven't told her yet?"

"No you idiot," Angela chastised him. "I was just about to before you came running in."

"Oh, I am so sorry," Hodgins took his phone back, pocketing it before slowly backing away from Angela and Brennan. "I'm going to get us all coffee," he excused himself before running back out the door.

Angela sighed, shaking her head before turning to a very confused Brennan. "Booth payed the rent for the club just before the bank could take it back. He also got a crew from Philly to rebuild The Lab. According to him, we should be able to open within two weeks."

Brennan blinked, the air knocked out of her. "He bought The Lab?"

Angela shook her head. "No Sweetie, it's still in your name. He just stopped the bank from taking it back."

"I still own The Lab?"

"Yes."

"And he's rebuilding it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Angela laughed. Brennan was brilliant, but when it came to matters of the heart she was a little slow sometimes. "Because he loves you, that's why. He risked his job at Cantilever to pay for the reconstruction."

"Why would he risk his job? That's just stupid." Brennan blinked, still not understanding what made Booth do that. He couldn't love her already, could he?

"Because love makes you do stupid things sometimes Sweetie. Booth's here to stay, he loves you. Do I have to jump in front of a bullet before you realise that?"

Brennan laughed, shaking her head. "Please don't even consider that Angela. Hodgins will kill me."

Brennan took a deep breath, the smile lingering on her face. Maybe everything was going to work out after all.

* * *

 **There you go, the penultimate chapter. The next will be the last one, and maybe there will be an epilogue if you guys want one. I know it's been a long week and I apologise, I had to move and do other student things. Because this is the second last chapter, I really would love it if everyone who favourited this story would leave a review. Let me know what your favourite moments were, what you want to see in the final chapter, things like that. I will also be announcing my next story in the final chapter, so please keep your eyes peeled. I will thank everyone in the author's note in the next chapter. You guys are awesome.**


	21. Authors Note

**I'm sorry that this is not the next chapter. I really am. I'm writing you guys this note because I feel very guilty that I haven't posted (written) it yet. I just want to explain to you guys why and offer my apologies.**

 **So as some of you know, I'm finishing my degree in November. That's two months away. I am literally buried under dissertations, projects, campaigns and what not. I'm also writing two very big tests on Wednesday and Friday, so the only writing I'm doing is studying.**

 **I hope you guys understand, and I am really sorry. I will try for this weekend, and I promise I'll make it a super long chapter. Don't hate me, and don't lose hope. I'm still here (even though I am kinda dying on the inside).**


	22. Catch Me If You Can

**Catch Me If You Can**

 _Catch me if you can_

 _I just got my head down_

 _And I'm a little bit scared tonight_

 _I need to run just far enough_

 _So I can smile again, smile again_

 _Take me by the hand_

 _But don't you get too close now_

 _'Cause I'm a little bit scared of life_

 _I need someone to try and bring_

 _Me back to innocence, innocence_

 _Heads up, show down_

 _Come home with me_

The clock on the nightstand indicated that it was just after one am. The chill outside was kept at bay by the small fireplace in the room. The fire was barely alive, casting an orange glow across the room. Somewhere in the apartment, they had left the window open, and a cold breeze blew abruptly into the room. Brennan shivered, her groggy mind was just awake enough to realise that she was cold. She reached for the covers, wondering why they weren't covering her in the first place. She tugged but was met with resistance. The warm body next to hers had wrapped himself in the entire duvet, leaving nothing for her.

"Booth, you're hogging the covers," Brennan groaned as she felt a cold breeze blow over her. She was too lazy to get up and close the window, but it wrestling with Booth wasn't going to be any easier. She inched closer to Booth, attempting to pull some of the covers back over her body. Booth was considerably stronger than she was, and also the heaviest sleeper she ever met. On the nights he wasn't tossing and turning from nightmares he slept like a rock. Brennan huffed, letting go of the covers. Booth held on to them like a fat kid held onto the last cupcake for the week. She was going to have to try a different tactic.

She moved back to her side of the bed, bringing her cold feet up and pressing the solidly against Booth's bare back. He stirred, the cold slowly pulling him back to consciousness.

"Bones, your feet," Booth groaned, arching his back to get away from her cold feet.

"Give me the covers back," Brennan huffed as she removed her feet from his back. Booth chuckled, shaking his head at her. She was a little devil when she wanted to be. He turned on his back, pulling the covers out from underneath him before throwing them back over Brennan. He reached out to her, pulling her against his body and wrapping one arm around her.

"Better Bones?" He yawned, closing his eyes again.

"Much better," she grinned, curling into him. She pressed her cold feet against his legs, causing him to jump slightly and pinch her arm.

"That was unnecessary," he mumbled and Brennan smirked.

"That was revenge for stealing the covers." She rested her head against his chest, trailing her fingers across his abdomen. The dying fire made him glow, attracting Brennan like a moth. She couldn't keep her hands off him.

Booth was very aware of what Brennan's fingers were doing. They had snapped him out of his slumber in seconds. Brennan had only been released from the hospital a few days ago. She still had ten stitches that held the entry wound together, as well as the cut the doctor's made. Booth had basically treated her like glass these past few days. He wouldn't let her lift a finger, much less engage in any form of sexual activity. He was too afraid she would tear out a stitch or get hurt, even though Brennan had assured him numerous times that the possibility was unlikely. Still, he could be just as stubborn as she was and firmly kept his distance from her. Brennan's fingers trailed down to his hips and she leaned over him, placing a small kiss on his chest.

"Bones," Booth groaned again, shifting underneath her. She was looking for trouble, and he was inclined to give it to her, but his fear held him back.

Her fingers moved to the waistband of his boxers, pushing it down slightly. Her mouth moved over his chest, leaving a trail of kisses all the way to his jawline. Her touch set him on fire and her mouth caused his member to twitch. His arms wrapped around her slender frame, locking her in place.

"Bones, we have a lot to do tomorrow," he cautioned her, but his heart wasn't really in it. He wanted to give in, he wanted to give her what she wanted, but he was not going to hurt her again.

"Stop that Booth," Brennan sighed, pushing herself up on her elbows so that she could see his face properly. "You've been using that excuse for days now." A frown appeared on her forehead. "Do you just not want to sleep with me because all the danger is gone now?"

Booth loosened his grip on her, sitting up straight so that he could see her face better too. "The danger is gone? What are you talking about Bones?"

She let out a breath before speaking. "Angela says our sex life is lacking because it's no longer dangerous for you to have sex with me. There's no takeover to make us enemies, it's no longer bad for us to be sleeping together."

Booth shook his head. Angela should really be minding her own business and not be putting funny ideas into Brennan's head. "You talk to Angela about our lack of a sex life?"

"She's my best friend Booth," Brennan explained. "But that's beside the point. Is the spark between us gone?" That was what she was afraid of when she agreed to give their relationship a go. They had amazing sex when it was forbidden, but now that nothing stood between them anymore…maybe he just didn't feel the same way?

Booth leaned over, cupping Brennan's cheeks. "Bones, there is nothing wrong with the spark between us or our sex life. I'm just being cautious because you only got out of the hospital four days ago. I can't hurt you again."

Brennan's eyes searched his. She was getting tired of the 'I don't want to hurt you' excuse, but she could tell he was being sincere, and that he was genuinely worried about her. "I'm fine, Booth. The stitches will dissolve over the next few days. All my wounds are closed, I promise." She leaned forward, her lips meeting his in a soft kiss. If he wasn't going to believe her words, then she would just have to show him that there was nothing wrong with her. She put her hands flat on his chest, pushing him back into the bed. She moved over him, straddling him as her hair fell forward like a curtain around them. She deepened the kiss, her hands moving up into his hair. His lips moved over hers as he finally gave him. He couldn't keep saying no to her, he would just have to be very gentle. His hands moved underneath her shirt, fingers tracing her soft skin as she pushed her hips into his. She sat up briefly and he pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it to the corner of the room.

"Bones…" He breathed, the air leaving his lungs. He had seen her naked before, but this was the first time he saw her naked after they were officially together. It was like seeing her for the first time. Her beauty stunned him. His mouth hung slightly open as his fingers traced over her hips, up her sides and over her breasts. Her eyes were like molten silver as she watched him. Every curve was perfect in his eyes. His fingers traced over her nipples before moving back down over her stomach. His eyes found the gunshot wound and he lightly traced a finger over it. She was right, some of the stitches had already dissolved. "You are gorgeous." He didn't know enough words to describe how beautiful she was, so he just stuck to the one that came to him first.

Her cheeks flushed and she leaned back down. "You're not so bad yourself Booth," she whispered before her lips touched his again. He wrapped his arms around her before flipping them around. Brennan's back hit the mattress and she gasped. Booth's eyes widened and he looked at her, careful to keep his weight off her.

"Are you ok?" He asked, the concern clear on his face.

"I'm fine Booth," she reassured him as she cupped his cheeks. His stubble tickled her fingers, but she liked it. Her fingers traced his face as she looked up at him, it was a face she was not going to forget anytime soon. Her fingers moved from his face, over his shoulders and to his back. She lightly traced the familiar scars across his back until she reached his boxers. He lifted his hips and she pushed them off with her feet. She smacked his bare ass playfully, causing a growl to come from him. Her core clenched, she loved it when he growled at her like that.

Booth's lips found her neck, biting her soft skin. Her back arched and her breasts pushed up against his bare chest. Nothing compared to the feeling of her skin against his, it was so intimate, a true testimony to the fact that she was now his. His lips moved down to her collarbone and she moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips. She could feel his hard member between her legs and her hips rolled into him again. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she tangled one hand in Booth's hair, pulling his face up to hers again. There was a slow heat building between them and she was enjoying it. Her thoughts were consumed with Booth, and for the first time, she was happy that she got shot. If she didn't, he wouldn't have come back to DC and he wouldn't be in her arms right now.

"I need you," she mumbled against his lips as she reached down between them with her free hand. She gave his member two quick strokes before lifting her hips and guiding him inside of her. Booth groaned, bracing himself on one hand against the bed. He was careful to put his full weight on her, not wanting to hurt her. He bit her bottom lip softly as he lowered his hips into her. Her walls opened for him and it was then he realised he was crazy for trying to abstain from her. Being inside of her was the best feeling in the world and he would never again purposefully keep himself from that.

"Booth…" Brennan panted, her core clenching as she felt Booth push into her. She had missed having him inside of her and she had to tell herself to breathe. Her legs tightened around his waist as her hips jerked him into him. She took him as deep as she could before stopping. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire and their heavy breathing as they took each other in.

"You're a lucky man, Seeley Booth," Brennan smiled up at him.

"Don't I know it Temperance," he replied as he gave her one of her favourite lopsided grins. His lips found hers as their hips started to move together. His free hand found hers and he weaved his fingers through hers. He knew he was lucky, and he too was grateful for the series of events that brought them back together. This was what he explained to Brennan when she was still in the hospital, this was what love felt like. It was two people, moving together in harmony, connected physically and emotionally. He thrust into her and her back arched. Her head fell back against the pillow as she let go and her toes curled. Her hips kept moving along with Booth's until he too fell off the edge. They lay panting in bed, both lost in the other. Booth lifted himself off Brennan, falling down next to her.

"Feel free to wake me up every night when you're cold," he joked and Brennan laughed.

"Hell no, I need my beauty sleep." Once she got her breath back she curled back into Booth, pulling the covers over them. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his chest.

"You don't need sleep to be beautiful," Booth said as he kissed the top of her head.

"No, but it does help me to be pleasant," she grinned, kissing his chest. Booth laughed and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips. She loved the sound of Booth laughing.

"I'm not going to deny that." He stroked her hair softly, running his fingers through the tangles that he created earlier. "We're going to have trouble getting up in the morning."

"The club is only opening tomorrow night, we have a lot of time. Stop worrying about everything," Brennan yawned and closed her eyes. Normally she would be the one worrying about everything, but Booth had done a fantastic job with the rebuild and revamp. The club was better than before and Brennan couldn't wait to see it tomorrow.

"Like that's going to happen," Booth snorted, but he closed his eyes as well. For now, he wouldn't think about anything but the beautiful woman in his arms.

* * *

"Those boxes go over there," Angela pointed to the bar. "Thanks, guys." The two men nodded as they carried the boxes over to the bar, where Hodgins was busy rearranging the shelves. It was the last of the deliveries today and they were officially ready to reopen. The Lab looked new and shiny, and Angela had to admit Booth made a couple of nice changes. The platform in the middle was now considerably smaller and now only functioned as a 360-degree stage. Booth took away the second bar and increased the dance space. The booth's at the back of the club were replaced by tables that changed colour, adding to the blue and green lights at the front of the club. An exclusive lounge was now at the top of the stairs and the offices were now closed off for better security.

The whole gang was back at The Lab as well. Booth had no problem convincing them to come back. They were all eager to return to their home.

Angela walked over to the bar, smirking a little as Hodgins almost dropped a brand new bottle of vodka. He still got nervous around her. "Do you need some help sweetie?"

"No, I got it," Hodgins said as he put the bottle in its place. "Are you excited for tonight?"

Angela set her clipboard down on the bar before leaning against it. "Of course I'm excited. Booth got Kygo to perform. That man has connections."

Hodgins rolled his eyes as he opened the last box of vodka. Of course, Angela was excited about Kygo coming, she was crazy about the man. She had also warmed up to Booth these last few weeks, especially when he got Kygo. "There's no denying that Booth knows what he's doing." Hodgins was still a bit sceptical about Booth, but he made Brennan happy and he rebuilt the club, so Hodgins was warming to him as well.

"Thanks, Hodgins," Booth said as he walked by the bar. He came out of nowhere, causing both Angela and Hodgins to jump. Luckily, Hodgins wasn't holding a bottle this time. Booth picked up Angela's clipboard, looking it over. "We're all set."

"You're really quiet for such a big guy," Hodgins said as he finished unpacking the box. "Did they teach you that in army school?"

"That, and how to shoot people," Booth set the clipboard down and gave Hodgins an innocent smile. Hodgins' blue eyes went wide and he made himself busy with double checking all the boxes to see if he didn't miss a bottle. Booth smirked and turned to Angela. "Has Sweets come by here?"

"Yeah he's in the lounge," Angela motioned upstairs. "He was carrying a rather large box. What are you two up to?"

Booth just shrugged as he started to make his way upstairs. "You'll find out later tonight. Are you good with everything?"

"Yes, I'm on top. I'm going to send out the reminder to the media in a few minutes," Angela nodded as she pulled her phone out. She was in charge of coordinating the media tonight and making sure The Lab got a lot of buzz on social media. She also needed to make sure Brennan got interviewed by a host of magazines tonight. Brennan had decided that it was time to make herself known to the world.

"Alright great," Booth called as he disappeared up the stairs. Angela stared at him, wondering what he could be up to. Anything was possible with Booth. She turned back to Hodgins, laughing when she saw he had his head stuck in a box. "Stand still, let me help you." She lifted herself onto the bar before climbing over.

"I have no idea how this happened," Hodgins said from inside the box. Angela picked up boxes as she went, putting them on the counter with the intention to throw them away later.

"It's your hair, I'm sure of it." Angela finally reached Hodgins and yanked the box off his head. His curly locks sprung free, flying in every direction.

"I probably need a haircut right?"

Angela smiled as she reached up, running her hand through his curls and trying to tame it. "It wouldn't hurt. I'm surprised you don't get stuck in doorways."

Hodgins chuckled, moving into Angela and placing his hands on her hips. "Now you're just exaggerating."

"Nope, I think my hand is stuck," Angela laughed, tugging on Hodgins' hair. She wasn't really stuck, she just enjoyed the close proximity to him.

"Well, since you are stuck, I suppose you can't run when I do this…" Hodgins trailed off as he leaned in, brushing his lips tentatively over hers. It's only been a few weeks since she broke up with Wendell, and Hodgins didn't want to push her into anything. But it seemed like Angela wanted to be pushed. She closed the gap between them and pressed her lips firmly to his. All the times that Hodgins had kissed Angela in his imagination could never live up to the real thing. Her lips were soft and she tasted like strawberries and coffee. He wrapped his arms around her waist, taking a few steps forward before lifting her up and placing her on the counter. Angela wrapped her other arm around his shoulders, pulling him in close to her as her tongue curled around his.

"No sex on the counter please, we haven't even opened yet." Booth's voice startled the both of them and they jumped apart. Booth smirked at their reactions, raising an eyebrow at both of them. Angela's cheeks reddened and Hodgins cleared his throat.

"We were just making sure it's sturdy enough," Hodgins attempted to explain.

"And is it?"

"Very, sturdy," Angela nodded.

"Mmh," Booth looked between the two of them before continuing on his way. "You have other work to do. Get to it."

Once Booth was gone, Hodgins and Angela burst out laughing. "Luckily Brennan didn't catch us," Hodgins chuckled.

"That would have been way worse," Angela agreed. "Come on, let's get back to work."

* * *

Brennan stood in front of her mirror, smoothing down her black dress. It was a knee length, backless dress with spaghetti straps that hugged her in all the right places. Angela picked it out for her earlier, insisting that she dress like a proper club owner. The dress was more revealing that Brennan usually wore, but she had to admit she liked it. She wore a pair of black heels, the only colour in her outfit was the bright red lipstick on her lips. She was both nervous and excited about the night. So much has changed, and yet they had come out stronger. Her club was back up and running all thanks to one man. If it wasn't for Booth, Brennan would be dead and so would her club. Booth was a good man, and she was lucky to have him.

Brennan turned her back on the mirror, satisfied with her reflection. She made her way to the chest of drawers in the room, opening the top one and pulling out an old photo. It was wrinkled and faded, but you could still make out the picture. It was the only picture Brennan had left of her parents, and the last one they had ever taken together. It was the only one she managed to hold on to through each foster home. Her mother and father smiled up at her. It was such an innocent photo, no one would be able to tell that it carried the greatest sadness. The Lab was her father's dream, and now hers. She smiled down at the photo with the familiar pang of pain in her heart. Where ever her parents were, she hoped that they were proud of her and the choice she was about to make.

Brennan put the photo away before grabbing her bag and heading outside. She heard the front door open right on time and she smiled as Booth came into view. He looked devilishly handsome in a black suit and red tie. Brennan stepped up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"You're very punctual Mr Booth."

It took Booth's brain a while to start thinking again. The sight of her floored him like it usually did. It should have been illegal for her to wear a dress like that, and he was already looking forward to getting her out of it.

"You look stunning Ms Brennan. I have something for you." Booth reached into his pocket and pulled a small black box with a white ribbon out. Brennan looked down at the box, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What is it?" She asked as he handed it to her. She turned it over in her hands before pulling on the ribbon and opening in the box. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw what was inside. "Booth.." She reached in, pulling out a delicate silver necklace with a small ornate key on it. No one had ever given her a gift like this, and she didn't know what to do with her emotions. Booth took the necklace from her, motioning for her to turn around. She followed his instruction, lifting up her hair. He placed the necklace around her neck before fastening it at the back. She turned to face Booth again, a lump in her throat. "Thank you…" She couldn't find any other words to describe how grateful she was to him, not just for the necklace but for everything he did. She would show him later that night, but for now, all she could say was thank you.

"You are very welcome baby," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Now let's go celebrate your new club."

* * *

Brennan had never seen The Lab so full before. It was filled to the brim with people laughing, dancing and enjoying themselves. Brennan smiled as she walked through the door, happy to see both Wendell and Jessica on their posts. The bar was busy, but she could tell Hodgins was enjoying himself. He finally got to show off again and try new things. Brennan knew that Finn and Fletcher were in the kitchen, busy making their famous stack of ribs. Vincent was on the platform, keeping the crowd entertained with the latest club hits before Kygo came on later that evening. Brennan was still amazed at the fact that Booth had been able to get Kygo to perform at her club. Brennan only caught flashes of Angela as she dashed in and out of the club, making sure the press got everything they needed.

Booth kept his hand on the small of Brennan's back as they made their way to the VIP area on the second floor. Aubrey and Sweets were both already there, as well as a few other famous people whose names Brennan did not know.

"This is amazing Booth," Brennan told him as he handed her a glass of champagne. "I can't believe you did all of this, for me."

"I would do anything for you Bones," he smiled at her as he clinked his glass against hers before taking a sip. A waiter came by with her famous Bone Killer shots, and Booth and Brennan both politely declined. They knew what those did to people.

"But you didn't have to," Brennan said once the waiter moved on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Aubrey trying a Bone Killer and she knew that Booth was going to have to carry the poor idiot out of the club later that evening. "You didn't have to do any of this, but you did."

Booth put his glass down in order to wrap his arms around her waist. "You're right, I didn't have to. But I wanted to Bones, and that's what matters. I'll always want to be right here, next to you." He leaned in, kissing her softly before letting her go. He was happier than ever, and it was all because of Brennan.

"Booth! Brennan!" Angela called as she came up the stairs, a string of reporters behind her. "It's time for interviews!"

Brennan turned to Booth, holding out her hand for him, but he shook his head. "It's your interviews Bones. You're the owner of the club. Go dazzle them."

Brennan nodded and dropped her hand, giving him another peck on the cheek before following Angela and the reporters. Booth picked up his glass of champagne again before joining Sweets and Aubrey.

"Hey boss, how did it go?" Aubrey asked as soon as Booth stood still next to him.

"I haven't told her yet," Booth said as he took a sip of his champagne. He was worried about how Brennan would react to his news, and if she would find it encouraging or if it would only scare her away. It was difficult to tell with her, but he had hoped that their lovemaking session last night made her more open to the idea.

"I'm sure she'll love it," Sweets said, clapping Booth's shoulder. "Everyone can see she's crazy about you."

"Yeah?" Booth asked as he looked at Sweets. "How can you tell."

"When a woman is in love, you can see it in her smile," Sweets explained. "And Brennan hasn't stopped smiling since you two walked in here."

"She's just happy her club is open again." Booth finished his champagne, setting the glass down.

"She's happy about that sure, but you're the one she keeps looking at. Whenever she sees you she just lights up," Aubrey said as he grabbed another glass for Booth from the waiter.

Booth enjoyed the feeling he got when he tried to catch Brennan's eye only to find that she was already staring at him. "I'll tell her later when things have quieted down."

"Good luck boss," Aubrey grinned, nudging Booth before going to find that pretty redhead. Hopefully this time she wouldn't turn him down this time.

* * *

It was a little after three am when Brennan finally sat down in her office. The club was officially closed and the opening night was a success. It was better than anything she could have imagined and she couldn't stop smiling. She rubbed her cheeks, kicking off her heels as she leaned back. The interviews had really taken it out of her, but seeing Booth every now and then made her feel better. The last time she saw him was just before closing time and he had a rather nervous look on her face. He was around here somewhere, making sure everything was secure. In an hour they would all head over to the diner to get some burgers and celebrate their success, and then they would all go to bed. Tomorrow they would repeat the entire process, and the thought made Brennan's heart grow. It was good to be back.

The door to her office opened and Booth walked in, two glasses of water in hand. Brennan drank so much champagne that her head was spinning a little, and she was thankful Booth had the sense to think ahead. He handed her a glass before sitting down opposite her and loosening his tie. "That was some night. I had forgotten what it was like to be inside a club while it was in full swing." Booth spent his time buying and selling clubs, he never really worked on the ground as he did tonight. "I'd say we made a decent profit."

"The Lab is officially back in business," Brennan grinned as she took a sip of the water. She stretched out, placing her feet in Booth's lap. "Remind me not to wear heels to the club anymore. My feet are killing me."

Booth set his glass down and wrapped his hands around her feet, slowly rubbing them. She let out a small moan, her sore feet felt better already. "I have something to tell you," Booth said slowly.

Brennan sat up a little straighter. So that's why he was so nervous a while ago. Her stomach dropped as she looked at Booth, worried about what he might say. Did he decide that he didn't want this anymore? Was he going back to Philly and leaving her high and dry?

 _Stop jumping to conclusions,_ she chastised herself. She leaned forward in her chair, nodding for him to continue. Booth gently pushed her feet off his lap before getting up. He walked out of the office for a moment before returning with a wooden box. It was a large box with beautiful floral patterns carved into the side. He handed the box to Brennan, who set it down on her desk. It wasn't terribly heavy and she was curious to see what was in it. She tried lifting the lid, but then she noticed the keyhole in the front. It wasn't hard for her to put two and two together. Booth sat back down in his chair as she removed the necklace. She pushed the key into the keyhole and turned, satisfied when she heard the lock click open.

Inside was a beautiful bottle of scotch, two glasses, a sheet of paper and a key. Brennan lifted the bottle of scotch out first, looking at the label.

"It's a gift, to celebrate the opening of the club. I noticed that your bottle broke during the explosion," Booth explained as Brennan put the bottle back inside. She picked up the key, holding it out in front of her.

"What's this for?"

"Read the paper first," Booth instructed and she set the key down before reaching for the paper. Her heart stopped as she quickly read through it. She stood up, walking over to Booth before sitting down on his lap. She held the page out in front of her, eyebrows raised.

"You quit your job at Cantilever?"

He nodded. "Yes, I did." He leaned over her to grab the key from the table. "This is your key to my apartment in DC if you want it. If we're going to make this work, I can't be in Philly."

Brennan was gaping like a goldfish, not sure how to react. "But…but…you love your job."

Booth laughed and put two fingers under her chin, closing her gaping mouth. "I've had a change of perspective recently. There are more important things than a job." He held the key out to Brennan, who didn't even hesitate to take it.

"I have a surprise for you as well." She kept the key in her hand she leaned over the table and grabbed a piece of paper. She handed it to Booth, whose eyes went wide as he scanned through it.

"You're giving me 50% of the club?" He almost couldn't believe what he was reading. Was she willing to make him co-owner of her club? Now it was his turn to gape like a goldfish. "You've got to be joking."

Brennan laughed at his face and shook her head. "I am not." She turned the page over and pointed to the bottom. "There's my signature. All you have to do is sign it."

"But…but…why?" Booth asked, not capable of forming full sentences.

"I…I'm in this for the long haul Booth." She looked back at his resignation letter and a smile formed on her lips. He was in this for the long run too. They were both willing to give up something in order to make the other happy. Booth gave up his job to be with her, and she gave up half her club to give to him. "I want our life together to be ours. You helped me build this club back up, it's ours, not just mine."

Booth blinked at her before throwing the paper on the desk and pulling her closer. His mouth found hers in a kiss that almost blew up The Lab for the second time. She smiled against his lips, kissing him back with just as much passion before pulling back. "Want to go break in the new bar?"

Booth laughed, kissing her again. "You want to have sex on the bar?"

"It's our club, we can do whatever we want."

* * *

 **Don't despair, there is a prologue coming. I will do all the official thank yous then, but for now, I would just like to thank everyone for their patience. I am so sorry this took so long, and I hope the length makes up for it. Please let me know what you think, and I promise the prologue will be up within a few days.**


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